[N-Check: nerve check to document chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in incurable cancer].

Chemotherapy-induced polyneuropathy (CIPN) encompasses a spectrum of symptoms ranging from hypoesthesia with impaired gait, stance and fine motor skills to painful dysesthesia and allodynia and significantly impairs the quality of life of those affected. In the present pilot study, quantitative sensory testing (QST) was used to investigate CIPN as a common adverse effect of cytostatic drugs in patients with incurable cancer. The QST is a standardized examination procedure that is not yet routinely used in cancer patients.

Painful stimulation increases functional connectivity between supplementary motor area and thalamus in patients with small fibre neuropathy.

Background: The lead symptom of small fibre neuropathy (SFN) is neuropathic pain. Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have indicated central changes in SFN patients of different etiologies. However, less is known about brain functional connectivity during acute pain processing in idiopathic SFN.

Advance directives in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease of the upper and lower motoneuron. It is associated with a life expectancy of 2-4 years after diagnosis. Individuals experience paralysis, dysphagia, respiratory failure and loss of communicative function, rendering advance care planning (ACP) critically important.

Application and accuracy of the EAPC/IASP diagnostic algorithm for neuropathic cancer pain and quantitative sensory testing profile in patients with pain due to cancer.

Introduction: Better diagnosis and treatment of neuropathic cancer pain (NcP) remains an unmet clinical need. The EAPC/IASP algorithm was specifically designed for NcP diagnosis; yet, to date, there is no information on its application and accuracy.

Objectives: Our aim was to determine the accuracy of the EAPC/IASP algorithm compared with the Neuropathic Special Interest Group grading system (gold standard) and to describe patients' sensory profile with quantitative sensory testing (QST).

Interindividual variability in cold-pressor pain sensitivity is not explained by peripheral vascular responding and generalizes to a C-nociceptor-specific pain phenotype.

Pain sensitivity of healthy subjects in the cold-pressor (CP) test was proposed to be dichotomously distributed and to represent a pain sensitivity trait. Still, it has not been systematically explored which factors influence this pain sensitivity readout. The aim of this study was to distinguish potential contributions of local tissue-related factors such as perfusion and thermoregulation or gain settings in nociceptive systems.