Posterior insula repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for chronic pain in patients with Parkinson disease - pain type matters: A double-blinded randomized sham-controlled trial.

Objectives: Altered somatosensory processing in the posterior insula may play a role in chronic pain development and contribute to Parkinson disease (PD)-related pain. Posterior-superior insula (PSI) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been demonstrated to have analgesic effects among patients with some chronic pain conditions. This study aimed at assessing the efficacy of PSI-rTMS for treating PD-related pain.

Motor corticospinal excitability abnormalities differ between distinct chronic low back pain syndromes.

Objectives: It is not known whether cortical plastic changes reported in low-back pain (LBP) are present in all etiologies of LBP. Here we report on the assessment of patients with three LBP conditions: non-specific-LBP (ns-LBP), failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), and sciatica (Sc).

Methods: Patients underwent a standardized assessment of clinical pain, conditioned pain modulation (CPM), and measures of motor evoked potential (MEPs)-based motor corticospinal excitability (CE) by transcranial magnetic stimulation, including short interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), and intracortical facilitation (ICF).

Corticomotor excitability is altered in central neuropathic pain compared with non-neuropathic pain or pain-free patients.

Objectives: Central neuropathic pain (CNP) is associated with altered corticomotor excitability (CE), which can potentially provide insights into its mechanisms. The objective of this study is to describe the CE changes that are specifically related to CNP.

Methods: We evaluated CNP associated with brain injury after stroke or spinal cord injury (SCI) due to neuromyelitis optica through a battery of CE measurements and comprehensive pain, neurological, functional, and quality of life assessments.

Effects of neuromodulation on executive functions and food desires in individuals with obesity: a systematic review.

Objective: to describe the effects of neuromodulation on the performance of executive functions in overweight and/or individuals with obesity. Methods: articles published in PubMed, ScienceDirect, BIREME, and Web of Science databases were selected using the following combination of descriptors: ("problem solving" OR "executive function" OR memory) AND (tDCS OR TMS) AND obesity. After applying the selection criteria, 08 articles were included for analysis.

Mirror peripheral neuropathy and unilateral chronic neuropathic pain: insights from asymmetric neurological patterns in leprosy.

Leprosy-related multiple mononeuropathy offers a pattern of impairment where neuropathy with and without neuropathic pain (NeP) are present in the same individual, thus allowing to investigate peripheral sensory and innervation in both conditions. This cross-sectional study collected data on clinical and neurological examination, pain assessment questionnaires, quantitative sensory test, and intraepidermal nerve fiber density of patients with leprosy and divided the cohort into 2 groups: with NeP (P+) and without NeP (P-). Furthermore, we assessed mirror body areas in the same NeP individuals with bilateral neuropathy also presenting unilateral NeP.

Preoperative Predictors for Acute Pain After Photorefractive Keratectomy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify preoperative predictors for the occurrence of early severe postoperative pain in patients undergoing photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). The implementation of preoperative screening methods may facilitate more specific or aggressive pain therapies specifically targeted to individuals at a high risk of experiencing severe postoperative pain.

Methods: This was exploratory research that included patients who underwent PRK.

Dissecting central post-stroke pain: a controlled symptom-psychophysical characterization.

Central post-stroke pain affects up to 12% of stroke survivors and is notoriously refractory to treatment. However, stroke patients often suffer from other types of pain of non-neuropathic nature (musculoskeletal, inflammatory, complex regional) and no head-to-head comparison of their respective clinical and somatosensory profiles has been performed so far. We compared 39 patients with definite central neuropathic post-stroke pain with two matched control groups: 32 patients with exclusively non-neuropathic pain developed after stroke and 31 stroke patients not complaining of pain.

Dissecting neuropathic from poststroke pain: the white matter within.

Poststroke pain (PSP) is a heterogeneous term encompassing both central neuropathic (ie, central poststroke pain [CPSP]) and nonneuropathic poststroke pain (CNNP) syndromes. Central poststroke pain is classically related to damage in the lateral brainstem, posterior thalamus, and parietoinsular areas, whereas the role of white matter connecting these structures is frequently ignored. In addition, the relationship between stroke topography and CNNP is not completely understood.

Sensory characteristics and chronic facial pain conditions: Cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study investigated patients with neuropathic, myofascial and other orofacial pain conditions according to the differences and similarities of the sensory profile, and the association between sensory findings and neuropathic or non-neuropathic conditions.

Design: 132 healthy controls were compared with 174 orofacial pain patients that were classified into three groups (neuropathic, masticatory myofascial and other orofacial pain condition) and evaluated with a systematized protocol of sensory testing. Data were analyzed with chi-quare and Bonferroni correction (categorical data), Student´s t test, oneway ANOVA, Tukey (quantitative features), Pearson´s coefficient for correlations and logistic regression.

Combined effects of theta-burst stimulation with transcranial direct current stimulation of the prefrontal cortex: study protocol of a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled trial using 99mTc-ECD SPECT.

Introduction: Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) as monotherapy has been increasingly used to enhance the activity of brain networks. However, it is unclear whether a combination of distinct NIBS approaches could enhance prefrontal cortical (PFC) activity.

Objective: We propose to investigate the combined and standalone effects of two NIBS modalities on the PFC through a working memory task, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and salivary cortisol.

Improvement of Non-motor Symptoms and Quality of Life After Deep Brain Stimulation for Refractory Dystonia: A 1-Year Follow-Up.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a treatment option for refractory dystonia's motor symptoms, while its non-motor symptoms (NMS) have been less systematically assessed. We aimed to describe the effects of DBS on NMS in refractory generalized inherited/idiopathic dystonia prospectively. We evaluated patients before and 1 year after DBS surgery and applied the following scales: Burke-Fahn-Marsden Rating Scale (BFMRS), NMS Scale for Parkinson's Disease (NMSS-PD), Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-8, short-form Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI), and short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ).

Safety and Outcomes of Dentate Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation for Cerebellar Ataxia.

Cerebellar symptoms remain orphan of treatment options despite being prevalent and incapacitating. Investigate whether dentate nucleus deep brain stimulation (DN DBS) is safe and leads to improvements in cerebellar symptoms when compared to sham stimulation. This randomized double-blind crossover pilot trial enrolled five patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 or post-lesion ataxia.

Motor cortex stimulation for chronic neuropathic pain: results of a double-blind randomized study.

Motor cortex stimulation via surgically implanted electrodes has been used as an off-label treatment for chronic neuropathic pain, but its efficacy has not been fully established. We aimed to objectively study the efficacy of motor cortex stimulation and characterize potential predictors of response. In this randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, single centre trial, we recruited 18 patients with chronic neuropathic pain who did not adequately respond to conventional treatment and had a numerical pain rating scale (NRS) score ≥6.

Dry needling has lasting analgesic effect in shoulder pain: a double-blind, sham-controlled trial.

Introduction: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) affects most patients with chronic shoulder pain. Dry needling (DN) is a common treatment for MPS, but its temporal pattern and sensory effects remain unknown.

Objectives: We evaluated in a randomized, sham-controlled study the pattern of analgesic efficacy and local sensory changes of a single session of DN for MPS in patients with chronic shoulder pain.

Abnormal sensory thresholds of dystonic patients are not affected by deep brain stimulation.

Background: Unlike motor symptoms, the effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) on non-motor symptoms associated with dystonia remain unknown.

Methods: The objective of this study was to assess the effects of DBS on evoked experimental pain and cutaneous sensory thresholds in a crossover, double-blind on/off study and compare these results with those of healthy volunteers (HV).

Results: Sixteen patients with idiopathic dystonia (39.

Evaluation of Changes in Preoperative Cortical Excitability by Navigated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Patients With Brain Tumor.

This prospective study aimed to evaluate the cortical excitability (CE) of patients with brain tumors surrounding or directly involving the (CST) using navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS). We recruited 40 patients with a single brain tumor surrounding or directly involving the CST as well as 82 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The patients underwent standard nTMS and CE evaluations.

Sorting pain out of salience: assessment of pain facial expressions in the human fetus.

Introduction: The question of whether the human fetus experiences pain has received substantial attention in recent times. With the advent of high-definition 4-dimensional ultrasound (4D-US), it is possible to record fetal body and facial expressions.

Objective: To determine whether human fetuses demonstrate discriminative acute behavioral responses to nociceptive input.

Appraising the effectiveness of electrical and magnetic brain stimulation techniques in acute major depressive episodes: an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.

Electrical and magnetic brain stimulation techniques present distinct mechanisms and efficacy in the acute treatment of depression. This was an umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials of brain stimulation techniques for managing acute major depressive episodes. A systematic review was performed in the PubMed/MEDLINE databases from inception until March 2020.

Balloon compression vs radiofrequency for primary trigeminal neuralgia: a randomized, controlled trial.

Surgical procedures are necessary in up to 50% of trigeminal neuralgia patients. Although radiofrequency (RF) is more widely used, it is associated with high intraprocedural costs and long technical learning time. Other simpler procedures such as balloon compression (BC) require a lower training period and have significant lower costs.