Publications by authors named "Rosalind S Parker"
Objective: The development of persistent pain following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is common, but its underlying mechanisms are unknown. The goal of the study was to assess brain grey matter structure and its correlation with function of the nociceptive system in people with good and poor outcomes following TKA.
Subjects: Thirty-one people with LOW_PAIN (<3/10 on the numerical ratings scale [NRS]) at six months following TKA and 15 people with HIGH_PAIN (≥3/10 on the NRS) were recruited into the study.
Article Synopsis
- The study explored how brain structure changes in individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA) before and after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), using MRI scans and quantitative sensory testing (QST).
- Findings showed reduced gray matter and impaired white matter in pain-related brain areas before TKA; these issues improved post-surgery.
- Despite structural brain changes accompanying pain management, no significant correlation was found between MRI results and QST measures of nociceptive processing.
Objectives: Pain catastrophizing has been associated with higher pain intensity, increased risk of developing chronic pain and poorer outcomes after treatment. Despite this, the mechanisms by which pain catastrophizing influences pain remain poorly understood. It has been hypothesized that pain catastrophizing may impair descending inhibition of spinal level nociception.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Previous studies have shown a tendency for reduced motor cortex inhibition in chronic pain populations. People with chronic pain also routinely demonstrate motor deficiencies, including skill learning. The goals of the current study were to (1) provide a thorough analysis of corticomotor and intracortical excitability in people with chronic arthritic hand pain, and (2) examine the relationship between these measures and performance on a motor skill learning task.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Chronic pain is characterised by maladaptive neuroplasticity in many systems, including the motor system. There is evidence that patients with chronic pain demonstrate altered corticospinal and intracortical excitability; however, findings are inconsistent and existing literature in this area has not been systematically reviewed.
Objective: To systematically review studies examining corticospinal and intracortical excitability using transcranial magnetic stimulation in people with chronic pain compared to healthy controls and to provide a meta-analysis of study outcomes.