Consensus statement on chronic pain treatment in cancer survivors.

In September 2023, the Japan Society of Pain Clinicians (JSPC) issued this consensus statement on chronic pain treatment in cancer survivors. With recent advances in the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, its prognosis has improved, so prolonged pain in cancer survivors is considered to represent chronic pain and should be addressed. In this statement, we emphasize that not all cancer survivor pain is cancer pain.

Successful treatment with spinal cord stimulation for pain due to eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: a case report.

Background: Although most patients of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) experience a reduction in pain within several weeks to months of the initiation of immunotherapies, some suffer from residual neuropathic symptoms for a long time.

Case Presentation: A 28-year-old woman diagnosed with EGPA visited. She had been treated with steroid pulse therapy, intravenous immunoglobulin, and mepolizumab (antiinterleukin-5 agent).

Consensus statement on smoking cessation in patients with pain.

Smoking is closely associated with the development of various cancers and tobacco-related illnesses such as cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. However, data are scarce on the relationship between smoking and both acute and chronic pain. In addition to nicotine, tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 different compounds.

Neuronal and microglial localization of secreted phosphoprotein 1 (osteopontin) in intact and damaged motor cortex of macaques.

We previously reported that mRNA encoding secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), also known as osteopontin, is preferentially expressed in large neurons in layer V of the macaque motor cortex, most of which are presumed to be corticospinal tract neurons. As a first step to elucidating the cellular function of SPP1 in macaque neurons, we examined the localization of SPP1 in the primary motor cortex (M1) of the macaque by using immunohistochemistry. SPP1 immunoreactivity was found to be localized in the cell bodies of neurons, but not outside the cells, indicating that SPP1 was not secreted from these neurons.

Prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain after thoracotomy and total knee arthroplasty: a retrospective multicenter study in Japan (Japanese Study Group of Subacute Postoperative Pain).

We performed a multicenter observational study to assess the prevalence and risk factors of persistent pain after lung cancer surgery and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the Japanese population. After receiving Ethics Committee approval, a retrospective chart review was performed for patients who underwent surgery at seven university hospitals in Japan in 2013. A total of 511 patients who underwent lung cancer surgery and 298 patients who underwent TKA were included.

A retrospective observational cohort study investigating the association between acute kidney injury and all-cause mortality among patients undergoing endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) has been found to be associated with short- and long-term mortality and morbidity in various clinical settings. However, it is unknown whether AKI after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (EVAR) is associated with postoperative mortality.

Methods: This observational study analyzed patients who underwent EVAR.

A Retrospective Examination of the Efficacy of Paravertebral Block for Patients Requiring Intraoperative High-Dose Unfractionated Heparin Administration During Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair.

Objective: Postoperative respiratory complications are serious and frequently observed among patients who undergo thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair. Paravertebral block (PVB) can provide effective analgesia for relief of postoperative thoracotomy pain and may reduce respiratory complications. However, the impact of PVB on postoperative pain and respiratory function in patients who undergo TAAA repair requiring intraoperative high-dose heparin administration is unknown.

Temporal plasticity involved in recovery from manual dexterity deficit after motor cortex lesion in macaque monkeys.

The question of how intensive motor training restores motor function after brain damage or stroke remains unresolved. Here we show that the ipsilesional ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and perilesional primary motor cortex (M1) of rhesus macaque monkeys are involved in the recovery of manual dexterity after a lesion of M1. A focal lesion of the hand digit area in M1 was made by means of ibotenic acid injection.

Differential expression of secreted phosphoprotein 1 in the motor cortex among primate species and during postnatal development and functional recovery.

We previously reported that secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) mRNA is expressed in neurons whose axons form the corticospinal tract (CST) of the rhesus macaque, but not in the corresponding neurons of the marmoset and rat. This suggests that SPP1 expression is involved in the functional or structural specialization of highly developed corticospinal systems in certain primate species. To further examine this hypothesis, we evaluated the expression of SPP1 mRNA in the motor cortex from three viewpoints: species differences, postnatal development, and functional/structural changes of the CST after a lesion of the lateral CST (l-CST) at the mid-cervical level.

Effects of early versus late rehabilitative training on manual dexterity after corticospinal tract lesion in macaque monkeys.

Dexterous hand movements can be restored with motor rehabilitative training after a lesion of the lateral corticospinal tract (l-CST) in macaque monkeys. To maximize effectiveness, the optimal time to commence such rehabilitative training must be determined. We conducted behavioral analyses and compared the recovery of dexterous hand movements between monkeys in which hand motor training was initiated immediately after the l-CST lesion (early-trained monkeys) and those in which training was initiated 1 mo after the lesion (late-trained monkeys).

Photochemistry of linear-shaped phenylacetylenyl- and (phenylacetylenyl)phenylacetylenyl-substituted aromatic enediynes.

The series of linear-shaped phenylacetylenyl- and (phenylacetylenyl)phenylacetylenyl-substituted aromatic enediynes 1-3 were synthesized as pure trans and cis isomers and their photochemistry explored. With expansion of the π-electron system, the absorption spectra red-shifted and the molar extinction coefficients dramatically increased up to 122000 M(-1) cm(-1) for trans-3. The absorption spectra of cis-2 and cis-3 consisted of two independent absorption bands.

Exercise training for the improvement of exercise performance of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis sequelae.

Objective: To examine whether exercise training using nontreadmill walking is effective for the improvement of exercise performance of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis sequelae (PTS) characterized by restrictive ventilatory defect.

Patients And Methods: Fourteen patients with stable PTS hospitalized for assessment of exertional dyspnea in Fukujuji Hospital from April 1997 to March 1999 were enrolled in this observational study. All patients underwent baseline pulmonary function tests, arterial blood-gases analysis and exercise tests for initial assessment.

Spontaneous conception in a 50-year old woman after giving up in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) treatments: involvement of the psychological relief in successful pregnancy.

A healthy woman, married at age 45, hoped to have their child without delay. She and her husband subsequently decided to pursue in-vitro-fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). In the succeeding year, ET was performed twice from four oocyte retrieval attempts, which represented six ovarian stimulation cycles.

Anthelmintic activity of 13-alkoxy milbemycin derivatives.

A number of 13-alkoxy milbemycin derivatives were synthesized to evaluate their anthelmintic activity. We report the strategy for developing a potent anthelmintic product, 13-[4-(N-methanesulfonyl-N-methylamino)-phenylethyloxy]milbemycin. The details of the structure-activity relationships of those derivatives are also discussed.

Structured intervention in family caregivers of the demented elderly and changes in their immune function.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a group structured intervention on the mental and physical discomfort and immune function of 20 family caregivers. A structured intervention for caregivers consists of five sessions, each of which lasts 90 min. This was a modified version of the program that had been originally developed for cancer patients.

Effect of psychiatric group intervention on natural-killer cell activity and pregnancy rate.

We investigated the effects of psychiatric group intervention on the emotions, natural-killer (NK) cell activity and pregnancy rate in Japanese infertile women by a randomized study. Thirty-seven women completed a 5-session intervention program and were compared with 37 controls. Psychological discomfort and NK-cell activity (47.