Statistical learning shapes pain perception and prediction independently of external cues.

The placebo and nocebo effects highlight the importance of expectations in modulating pain perception, but in everyday life we don't need an external source of information to form expectations about pain. The brain can learn to predict pain in a more fundamental way, simply by experiencing fluctuating, non-random streams of noxious inputs, and extracting their temporal regularities. This process is called statistical learning.

Skin penetration of topical formulations of ibuprofen 5%: an in vitro comparative study.

An in vitro isolated human skin technique with known reliable predictive value for in vivo performance was used to compare the skin penetration of the proprietary ibuprofen gel formulation, Ibugel, with five other commercially available topical formulations containing ibuprofen 5%: Ibuspray, Ibumousse, Proflex Cream, Fenbid Gel and Deep Relief Gel. There was a marked difference between some formulations in the percentage of applied ibuprofen penetrating the skin samples, with Ibuspray, Ibugel and Ibumousse showing the most efficient penetration. The percentage of applied ibuprofen penetrating the skin samples from these formulations was significantly greater (p < 0.

Comparative efficacy of a proprietary topical ibuprofen gel and oral ibuprofen in acute soft tissue injuries: a randomized, double-blind study.

The efficacy of a novel, proprietary topical formulation of ibuprofen 5% gel (Ibugel) and ibuprofen 400 mg tablets (1200 mg daily) was compared in a double-blind, double-dummy, parallel group study in patients with acute soft tissue injuries. Patients received either active gel plus placebo tablets (n = 50) or active tablets plus placebo gel (n = 50) for at least 7 days. The gel was applied and one tablet was taken three times daily.

An effective, cosmetically acceptable, novel hydro-gel emollient for the management of dry skin conditions.

Background: A novel hydro-gel emollient (Doublebase) has been developed with improved moisturizing effects.

Objective: To test this novel hydro-gel for its moisturizing effect, for its potential to cause skin irritancy/allergy and for its clinical effectiveness and acceptability in dry skin conditions.

Methods/results: Skin hydration (corneometry) and trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) studies with a single application in 18 volunteers confirmed its efficacy (p < 0.

Efficacy of a proprietary ibuprofen gel in soft tissue injuries: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

The efficacy of a novel, proprietary topical formulation of ibuprofen 5% gel (Ibugel) was evaluated in a placebo-controlled study in patients with soft tissue injuries. Patients received either active gel (n=40) or placebo gel (n=41) for a maximum of seven days. Pain and interference with physical activity were assessed daily using visual analogue scales.