Cognitive Biases Toward Pain: Implications for a Neurocognitive Processing Perspective in Chronic Pain and its Interaction With Depression.

Objectives: Information-processing biases such as attentional, interpretation, and memory biases are supposed to play a role in the exacerbation and maintenance of chronic pain. Current research in the area of cognitive biases shows that all these biases seem to have an influence on attention to, interpretation of, and recall of pain and can lead to maladaptive strategies and the exacerbation of pain.

Methods: We conducted a narrative literature review, considering evidence extracted from various databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, Science Direct, and ProQuest.

Pharmacological preconditioning with sildenafil: Basic mechanisms and clinical implications.

The phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE5) inhibitor, sildenafil, is the first drug developed for treatment of erectile dysfunction in patients. Experimental data in animals show that sildenafil has a preconditioning-like cardioprotective effect against ischemia/reperfusion injury in the intact heart. Mechanistic studies suggest that sildenafil exerts cardioprotection through NO generated from eNOS/iNOS, activation of protein kinase C/ERK signaling and opening of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels.

Diagnosis and management of restricted or closed foramen ovale in fetuses with congenital heart disease.

The incidence of foramen ovale restriction or closure is greater in fetuses with congenital heart defects (CHDs) and obligate atrial shunting and/or left atrial hypertension. Foramen ovale restriction or closure in fetuses with CHD can cause distress in utero or at birth. We suggest performing serial ultrasound assessment for at-risk fetuses with CHD to best assure fetal well-being plan the timing and mode of delivery, and develop management protocols for in utero and postnatal care.

Sildenafil citrate (viagra) induces cardioprotective effects after ischemia/reperfusion injury in infant rabbits.

Infants undergoing surgery for congenital heart disease are at risk for myocardial ischemia during cardiopulmonary bypass, circulatory arrest, or low-flow states. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the effects of sildenafil, a selective phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor on myocardial functional improvement and infarct size reduction during ischemia/reperfusion injury in infant rabbits. Infant rabbits (aged 8 wk) were treated with sildenafil citrate (0.

Autoregulation of cerebral blood flow in fetuses with congenital heart disease: the brain sparing effect.

Fetuses with congenital heart disease (CHD) have circulatory abnormalities that may compromise cerebral oxygen delivery. We believe that some CHD fetuses with decreased cerebral oxygen supply have autoregulation of blood flow that enhances cerebral perfusion (brain sparing). We hypothesize that cerebral autoregulation occurs in CHD fetuses, and the degree of autoregulation is dependent on the specific CHD and correlates with intrauterine head circumferences.