Differences in Plasma BDNF Levels Between Chronic Primary Musculoskeletal Pain, Fibromyalgia Syndrome, and Asymptomatic Subjects: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This cross-sectional study compared plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels among chronic primary musculoskeletal pain patients, chronic widespread pain patients, and asymptomatic controls. The study included 126 participants aged 18-65, divided into three groups of 42 each. Pain intensity was assessed using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and plasma BDNF levels were measured via ELISA.

Transcutaneous Kilohertz High-Frequency Alternating Current at 10 kHz for Upper-Limb Tremor in People with Parkinson's Disease: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Crossover Study.

Preclinical studies have evidenced a peripheral nerve blockade with kilohertz high-frequency alternating current (KHFAC) stimulation. It could have a potential effect on aberrant nerve hyperactivity, such as tremor in people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD). The objective was to investigate the effects of transcutaneous KHFAC at 10 kHz compared with sham intervention on tremor modulation, upper limb motor function, and adverse events in PwPD.

Combining Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation With Hand Robotic Rehabilitation in Chronic Stroke Patients: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of combining transcranial direct current stimulation with end-effector robot-assisted treatment on upper limb function, spasticity, and hand dexterity in chronic stroke patients.

Design: This was a prospective, double-blind randomized trial with 20 equally allocated stroke patients. The experimental group received dual transcranial direct current stimulation (anode over affected M1, cathode over contralateral M1) alongside robot-assisted treatment, while the control group received sham transcranial direct current stimulation with the same electrode placement + robot-assisted treatment.

Is the Combination of Robot-Assisted Therapy and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Useful for Upper Limb Motor Recovery? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

Stroke is the third leading cause of disability in the world, and effective rehabilitation is needed to improve lost functionality post-stroke. In this regard, robot-assisted therapy (RAT) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are promising rehabilitative approaches that have been shown to be effective in motor recovery. In the past decade, they have been combined to study whether their combination produces adjuvant and greater effects on stroke recovery.

Toxicological potential of Aloysia gratissima: Insights from chemical analysis and in vitro studies.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Aloysia gratissima leaves are popularly used to treat respiratory, digestive, and nervous system disorders. Several studies have been carried out to determine the biological activity of A. gratissima, such as its antibacterial and anti-edematogenic activities, but despite the beneficial uses of A.

Multicomponent or Resistance Training for Nursing Home Residents: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: To perform a systematic review with meta-analysis to verify the effects of multicomponent and resistance training on the physical performance in older adult residents in long-term care, as well as to compare these modalities.

Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Setting And Participants: Older adults age over 60 years who are nursing home residents in long-term care.

Sustainable production and co-immobilization of cold-active enzymes from Pseudomonas sp. for BTEX biodegradation.

Toluene/o-Xylene Monooxygenase (ToMO) is equipped with a broad spectrum of aromatic substrate specificity (such as BTEX; benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and isomers of xylenes). TOMO has can hydroxylate more than a single position of aromatic rings in two consecutive monooxygenation reactions. Catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (C1,2D) is an iron-containing enzyme able to cleave the ring of catechol (the converted product from ToMO) for complete detoxification of BTEX.

Validity and reliability of inertial sensors for elbow and wrist range of motion assessment.

Background: Elbow and wrist chronic conditions are very common among musculoskeletal problems. These painful conditions affect muscle function, which ultimately leads to a decrease in the joint's Range Of Motion (ROM). Due to their portability and ease of use, goniometers are still the most widespread tool for measuring ROM.

Trends and challenges in diabetes for middle-income countries: Evidence from Mexico.

The epidemiological and economic burden of diabetes poses one of the main challenges for health systems worldwide. This is particularly relevant in middle-income countries because of the constant growing trends that have been observed in recent years. In order to identify trends and challenges on epidemiological and economic burden from diabetes in a middle-income country we developed a longitudinal analysis on costs and trends in the number of cases of diabetes in Mexico.

Postneedling Soreness and Tenderness After Different Dosages of Dry Needling of an Active Myofascial Trigger Point in Patients With Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Previous studies in asymptomatic subjects have demonstrated that myofascial trigger point (MTrP) dry needling frequently is associated with postneedling soreness. However, to the authors' knowledge, there is not any study that performs a detailed description of postneedling soreness characteristics in patients with myofascial pain. This information could help clinicians to make evidence-informed decisions considering the benefits and negative effects of different dry needling dosages.

Qualitative analysis of governance trends after health system reforms in Latin America: lessons from Mexico.

Objective: Health policies in Latin America are centered on the democratization of health. Since 2003, during the last generation of reforms, health systems in this region have promoted governance strategies for better agreements between governments, institutions, and civil society. In this context, we develop an evaluative research to identify trends and evidence of governance after health care reforms in six regions of Mexico.

Effectiveness of Different Deep Dry Needling Dosages in the Treatment of Patients With Cervical Myofascial Pain: A Pilot RCT.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of different dosages of local twitch responses (LTRs) elicited by deep dry needling (DDN) in relation to pain intensity, pressure pain threshold (PPT), cervical range of movement (CROM), and disability degree in cervical myofascial pain patients.

Design: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial.

Participants: Eighty-four patients (21 males, 63 females; 27.

Comparison of hand grip strength and upper limb pressure pain threshold between older adults with or without non-specific shoulder pain.

Background: There is a high prevalence of non-specific shoulder pain associated with upper limb functional limitations in older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the minimal clinically important differences (MCID) of grip strength and pressure pain threshold (PPT) in the upper limb between older adults with or without non-specific shoulder pain.

Methods: A case-control study was carried out following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) criteria.

Transcultural adaptation and psychometric validation of a Spanish-language version of the "Pelvic Girdle Questionnaire".

Background: The Pelvic Girdle Questionnaire is the only instrument designed to assess pain and disability specifically in pregnant or postpartum women with pelvic girdle pain. The objective of this study was the adaptation to the Spanish language and analysis of the psychometric properties of the Pelvic Girdle Questionnaire.

Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study divided into two phases.

Influence of the actions observed on cervical motion in patients with chronic neck pain: a pilot study.

The aim of the present pilot study was to prove if the action-observation (AOb) improved the cervical range of motion (CROM) in patients with nonspecific chronic neck pain (CNP). Double blind pilot study. A total of 28 subjects were randomly assigned to an effective-movement group (n=14) and an ineffective-movement group (n=14).

Immediate and short-term effects of the combination of dry needling and percutaneous TENS on post-needling soreness in patients with chronic myofascial neck pain.

Background: Dry needling (DN) and percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) are widely used techniques in the treatment of myofascial pain.

Objective: To investigate the immediate and short-term effects of the combination of DN and PENS compared to DN alone on the upper trapezius muscle.

Method: This is a 72-hour follow-up single-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Metabolic, cardiorespiratory, and neuromuscular fitness performance in children with cerebral palsy: A comparison with healthy youth.

The aim of this study was to assess metabolic, cardiorespiratory, and neuromuscular fitness parameters in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and to compare these findings with typically developing children. 40 children with CP (21 males, 19 females; mean age, 11.0±3.

Widespread Pressure Pain Hyperalgesia in Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain with Neuropathic Features: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Neck pain has an elevated prevalence worldwide. Most people with neck pain are diagnosed as nonspecific neck pain patients. Poor recovery in neck disorders, as well as high levels of pain and disability, are associated with widespread sensory hypersensitivity.

Fear and difficulty perceived when visualizing therapeutic exercise in patients with chronic low back pain: A cross-sectional study.

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the perceived level of difficulty and fear of movement among patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) compared with asymptomatic subjects when they visualized motor control therapeutic exercises (MCTEs) commonly used in physiotherapy. Our secondary objective was to analyse the correlation between fear of MCTEs and other psychological and disability variables. Thirty patients with CLBP comprised the treatment group, and 30 asymptomatic subjects comprised the control group.

Multimodal Physiotherapy Based on a Biobehavioral Approach as a Treatment for Chronic Tension-Type Headache: A Case Report.

Introduction: Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most common primary headache affecting the general population, which is characterized by bilateral headache and mild to moderate pain. This disorder causes high levels of disability and recent scientific evidence suggests that manual therapy (MT) and therapeutic exercise are effective in reducing medication intake and decreasing the frequency and intensity of headaches in patients with TTH.

Case Presentation: A 34-year-old woman was known to have chronic TTH.

Comparison of Dry Needling versus Orthopedic Manual Therapy in Patients with Myofascial Chronic Neck Pain: A Single-Blind, Randomized Pilot Study.

Objective. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of three interventions for the treatment of myofascial chronic neck pain. Methods.

EFFECTIVENESS OF A MOTOR CONTROL THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE PROGRAM COMBINED WITH MOTOR IMAGERY ON THE SENSORIMOTOR FUNCTION OF THE CERVICAL SPINE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL.

Background: Motor control therapeutic exercise (MCTE) for the neck is a motor relearning program that emphasizes the coordination and contraction of specific neck flexor, extensor, and shoulder girdle muscles. Because motor imagery (MI) improves sensorimotor function and it improves several motor aspects, such as motor learning, neuromotor control, and acquisition of motor skills, the authors hypothesized that a combination of MCTE and MI would improve the sensorimotor function of the cervical spine more effectively than a MCTE program alone.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of MI combined with a MCTE program on sensorimotor function of the craniocervical region in asymptomatic subjects.

Postural Stability in Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Hip: Analysis of Association With Pain Catastrophizing and Fear-Avoidance Beliefs.

Background: Persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA) are at risk of having sensations of instability and sometimes experience buckling. The instability has been associated with psychosocial dysfunction, such as fear of movement, and impaired physical functioning. A high degree of fear of movement is positively correlated with avoidance in other conditions.