scholarly journals The Neurophysiological Impact of Experimentally-Induced Pain on Direct Muscle Spindle Afferent Response: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla R. Lima ◽  
Pradeep K. Sahu ◽  
Daniel F. Martins ◽  
William R. Reed

Background: Musculoskeletal pain disorders are among the leading causes of years lived with disability worldwide representing a significant burden to society. Studies investigating a “nociceptive-fusimotor” relationship using experimentally-induced pain/noxious stimuli and muscle spindle afferent (MSA) response have been published over several decades. The purpose of this scoping review was to systematically identify and summarize research findings related to the impact of experimentally-induced pain or noxious stimulation on direct MSA discharge/response.Methods: PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane and Embase were searched from database inception to August 2020. Eligible studies were: (a) published in English; (b) clinical or pre-clinical studies; (c) original data studies; (d) included the investigation of MSA response to experimentally-induced pain or noxious stimulation; (e) included quantification of at least one direct physiological measure associated with MSA activity/response. Two-phase screening procedures were conducted by a pair of independent reviewers and data extracted from eligible studies.Results: The literature search resulted in 195 articles of which 23 met inclusion criteria. Six studies (26%) were classified as clinical and 17 (74%) as pre-clinical. Two clinical studies investigated the effects of sacral dermatome pin-pricking on MSA response, while the remaining 4 studies investigated the effects of tonic muscle and/or skin pain induced by injection/infusion of hypertonic saline into the tibialis anterior muscle or subdermal tissues. In pre-clinical studies, muscle pain was induced by injection of noxious substances or the surgical removal of the meniscus at the knee joint.Conclusion: Clinical studies in awake humans reported that experimentally-induced pain did not affect, or else slightly decreased MSA spontaneous discharge and/or response during weak dorsiflexor muscle contraction, thus failing to support an excitatory nociceptive-fusimotor relationship. However, a majority of pre-clinical studies indicated that ipsilateral and contralateral muscle injection of noxious substances altered MSA resting discharge and/or response to stretch predominately through static fusimotor reflex mechanisms. Methodological differences (use of anesthesia, stretch methodology, etc.) may ultimately be responsible for the discrepancies between clinical and pre-clinical findings. Additional investigative efforts are needed to reconcile these discrepancies and to clearly establish or refute the existence of nociceptive-fusimotor relationship in muscular pain.

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla de Laurentis ◽  
Julius Höhne ◽  
Claudio Cavallo ◽  
Francesco Restelli ◽  
Jacopo Falco ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alanna McCrory

UNSTRUCTURED Users of highly visual social media (HVSM), such as Snapchat and Instagram, share their messages through images, rather than relying on words. A significant proportion of people that use these platforms are adolescents. Previous research reveals mixed evidence regarding the impact of online social technologies on this age group’s mental wellbeing, but it is uncertain whether the psychological effects of visual content alone differ from text-driven social media. This scoping review maps existing literature that has published evidence about highly visual social media, specifically its psychological impact on young people. Nine electronic databases and grey literature from 2010 until March 2019 were reviewed for articles describing any aspect of visual social media, young people and their mental health. The screening process retrieved 239 articles. With the application of eligibility criteria, this figure was reduced to 25 articles for analysis. Results indicate a paucity of data that exclusively examines HVSM. The predominance of literature relies on quantitative methods to achieve its objectives. Many findings are inconsistent and lack the richness that qualitative data may provide to explore the reasons for theses mixed findings.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Zhao ◽  
Pei Chen ◽  
Yu Zhang ◽  
Haining Liu ◽  
Xianwen Li

BACKGROUND Mobile health application has become an important tool for healthcare systems. One such tool is the delivery of assisting in people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers. OBJECTIVE This scoping review aims to explore and evaluate the existing evidence and challenges on the use of mHealth applications that assisting in people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers. METHODS Nine databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, PsycARTICLES, CINAHL, Web of Science, Applied Science & Technology Source, IEEE Xplore and the ACM Digital Library were searched from inception through June 2020 for the studies of mHealth applications on people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers. Two reviewers independently extracted, checked synthesized data independently. RESULTS Of the 6101 studies retrieved, 64 studies met the inclusion criteria. Three categories emerged from this scoping review. These categories are ‘application functionality’, ‘evaluation strategies’, ‘barriers and challenges’. All the included studies were categorized into 7 groups based on functionality: (1) cognitive assessment; (2) cognitive training; (3) life support; (4) caregiver support; (5) symptom management; (6) reminiscence therapy; (7) exercise intervention. The included studies were broadly categorized into four types: (1) Usability testing; (2) Pilot and feasibility studies; (3) Validation studies; and (4) Efficacy or Effectiveness design. These studies had many defects in research design such as: (1) small sample size; (2) deficiency in active control group; (3) deficiency in analyzing the effectiveness of intervention components; (4) lack of adverse reactions and economic evaluation; (5) lack of consideration about the education level, electronic health literacy and smartphone proficiency of the participants; (6) deficiency in assessment tool; (7) lack of rating the quality of mHealth application. Some progress should be improved in the design of smartphone application functionality, such as: (1) the design of cognitive measurements and training game need to be differentiated; (2) reduce the impact of the learning effect. Besides this, few studies used health behavior theory and performed with standardized reporting. CONCLUSIONS Preliminary results show that mobile technologies facilitate the assistance in people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers. The majority of mHealth application interventions incorporated usability outcome and health outcomes. However, these studies have many defects in research design that limit the extrapolation of research. The content of mHealth application is urgently improved to adapt to demonstrate the real effect. In addition, further research with strong methodological rigor and adequate sample size are needed to examine the feasibility, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of mHealth applications for people with cognitive impairment and their caregivers.


Author(s):  
Vanessa Puig-Barrachina ◽  
Pol Giró ◽  
Lucía Artazcoz ◽  
Xavier Bartoll ◽  
Imma Cortés-Franch ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 215145932098036
Author(s):  
David W. Barton ◽  
C. Taylor Smith ◽  
Amit S. Piple ◽  
Sterling A. Moskal ◽  
Jonathan J. Carmouche

Introduction: Osteoporosis is often not clinically recognized until after a fracture occurs. Individuals who have 1 fracture are at increased risk of future fractures. Prompt initiation of osteoporosis treatment following fracture is critical to reducing the rate of future fractures. Antiresorptives are the most widely used class of medications for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Many providers are hesitant to initiate antiresorptives in the acute post-fracture period. Concerns include interference with bone remodeling necessary for successful fracture healing, which would cause increased rates of non-union, malunion, and refracture. While such concerns should not extend to anabolic medications, physicians may also hesitate to initiate anabolic osteoporosis therapies due to high cost and/or lack of familiarity. This article aims to briefly review the available data and present a digestible narrative summary to familiarize practicing orthopaedic surgeons with the essential details of the published research on this topic. Results: The results of 20 clinical studies and key pre-clinical studies related to the effect of anti-resorptive medications for osteoporosis on fracture healing are summarized in the body of this narrative review. Discussion & Conclusions: While few level I studies have examined the impact of timing of initiation of osteoporosis medications in the acute post-fracture period, the few that have been published do not support these concerns. Specifically, data from level I clinical trials indicate that initiating bisphosphonates as early as 2 weeks post-fracture does not increase rates of non-union or malunion. By reviewing the available data, we hope to give clinicians the confidence to initiate osteoporosis treatment promptly post-fracture.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1332
Author(s):  
Gilda M. Iova ◽  
Horia Calniceanu ◽  
Adelina Popa ◽  
Camelia A. Szuhanek ◽  
Olivia Marcu ◽  
...  

Background: There is a growing interest in the correlation between antioxidants and periodontal disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of oxidative stress and the impact of two antioxidants, curcumin and rutin, respectively, in the etiopathology of experimentally induced periodontitis in diabetic rats. Methods: Fifty Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into five groups and were induced with diabetes mellitus and periodontitis: (1) (CONTROL)—control group, (2) (DPP)—experimentally induced diabetes mellitus and periodontitis, (3) (DPC)—experimentally induced diabetes mellitus and periodontitis treated with curcumin (C), (4) (DPR)—experimentally induced diabetes mellitus and periodontitis treated with rutin (R) and (5) (DPCR)—experimentally induced diabetes mellitus and periodontitis treated with C and R. We evaluated malondialdehyde (MDA) as a biomarker of oxidative stress and reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), GSH/GSSG and catalase (CAT) as biomarkers of the antioxidant capacity in blood harvested from the animals we tested. The MDA levels and CAT activities were also evaluated in the gingival tissue. Results: The control group effect was statistically significantly different from any other groups, regardless of whether or not the treatment was applied. There was also a significant difference between the untreated group and the three treatment groups for variables MDA, GSH, GSSG, GSH/GSSG and CAT. There was no significant difference in the mean effect for the MDA, GSH, GSSG, GSH/GSSG and CAT variables in the treated groups of rats with curcumin, rutin and the combination of curcumin and rutin. Conclusions: The oral administration of curcumin and rutin, single or combined, could reduce the oxidative stress and enhance the antioxidant status in hyperglycemic periodontitis rats.


Author(s):  
Han Shi Jocelyn Chew ◽  
Violeta Lopez

Objective: To provide an overview of what is known about the impact of COVID-19 on weight and weight-related behaviors. Methods: Systematic scoping review using the Arksey and O’Malley methodology. Results: A total of 19 out of 396 articles were included. All studies were conducted using online self-report surveys. The average age of respondents ranged from 19 to 47 years old, comprised of more females. Almost one-half and one-fifth of the respondents gained and lost weight during the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. Among articles that examined weight, diet and physical activity changes concurrently, weight gain was reported alongside a 36.3% to 59.6% increase in total food consumption and a 67.4% to 61.4% decrease in physical activities. Weight gain predictors included female sex, middle-age, increased appetite, snacking after dinner, less physical exercise, sedentary behaviors of ≥6 h/day, low water consumption and less sleep at night. Included articles did not illustrate significant associations between alcohol consumption, screen time, education, place of living and employment status, although sedentary behaviors, including screen time, did increase significantly. Conclusions: Examining behavioral differences alone is insufficient in predicting weight status. Future research could examine differences in personality and coping mechanisms to design more personalized and effective weight management interventions.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
S. Melker Hagsäter ◽  
Robert Pettersson ◽  
Axel Holmäng ◽  
Elias Eriksson

Abstract Objective: Whereas numerous experimental and clinical studies suggest a complex involvement of serotonin in the regulation of anxiety, it remains to be clarified if the dominating impact of this transmitter is best described as anxiety-reducing or anxiety-promoting. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of serotonin depletion on acquisition, consolidation, and expression of conditioned fear. Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to foot shocks as unconditioned stimulus and assessed with respect to freezing behaviour when re-subjected to context. Serotonin depletion was achieved by administration of a serotonin synthesis inhibitor, para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) (300 mg/kg daily × 3), (i) throughout the period from (and including) acquisition to (and including) expression, (ii) during acquisition but not expression, (iii) after acquisition only, and (iv) during expression only. Results: The time spent freezing was significantly reduced in animals that were serotonin-depleted during the entire period from (and including) acquisition to (and including) expression, as well as in those being serotonin-depleted during either acquisition only or expression only. In contrast, PCPA administrated immediately after acquisition, that is during memory consolidation, did not impact the expression of conditioned fear. Conclusion: Intact serotonergic neurotransmission is important for both acquisition and expression of context-conditioned fear.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1098.2-1099
Author(s):  
O. Russell ◽  
S. Lester ◽  
R. Black ◽  
C. Hill

Background:Socioeconomic status (SES) influences disease outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. (1, 2) Differences in medication use could partly explain this association. (3) A scoping review was used to identify research conducted on this topic and determine what knowledge gaps remain.Objectives:To determine what research has been conducted on this topic, how this research has defined SES and medication use, and establish what knowledge gaps remain.Methods:MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsychInfo were searched from their inception until May 2019 for studies which assessed SES and medication use as outcome variables. Studies were included if they measured medication use and incorporated an SES measure as a comparator variable.SES was defined using any of the “PROGRESS” framework variables (4) including patients’ stated gender, age, educational attainment, employment, occupational class, personal income, marital status, health insurance coverage, area- (neighbourhood) level SES, or patients’ stated race and/or ethnicity. Medication use was broadly defined as either prescription or dispensation of a medicine, medication adherence, or delays in treatment. Data was extracted on studies’ primary objectives, measurement of specific SES measures, patients’ medication use, and whether studies assessed for differences in patients’ medication use according to SES variables.Results:1464 studies were identified by this search from which 74 studies were selected for inclusion, including 52 published articles. Studies’ publication year ranged from 1994-2019, and originated from 20 countries; most commonly from the USA.Studies measured a median of 4 SES variables (IQR 3-6), with educational achievement, area level SES and race/ethnicity the most frequently recorded.Likelihood of disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) prescription was the most frequent primary objective recorded.96% of studies reported on patients’ use of DMARDs, with glucocorticoids and analgesics being reported in fewer studies (51% and 23% respectively.)Most included studies found at least one SES measure to be significantly associated with differences in patients’ medication use. In some studies, however, this result was not necessarily drawn from the primary outcome and therefore may not have been adjusted for covariates.70% of published studies measuring patients’ income (n=14 of 20) and 58% of those that measured race/ethnicity (n=14 of 24) documented significant differences in patients’ medication use according to these SES variables, although the direction of this effect – whether it led to ‘greater’ or ‘lesser’ medication use – varied between studies.Conclusion:Multiple definitions of SES are used in studies of medication use in RA patients. Despite this, most identified studies found evidence of a difference in medication use by patient groups that differed by an SES variable, although how medication use differed was found to vary between studies. This latter observation may relate to contextual factors pertaining to differences in countries’ healthcare systems. Further prospective studies with clearly defined SES and medication use measures may help confirm the apparent association between SES and differences in medication use.References:[1]Jacobi CE, Mol GD, Boshuizen HC, Rupp I, Dinant HJ, Van Den Bos GA. Impact of socioeconomic status on the course of rheumatoid arthritis and on related use of health care services. Arthritis Rheum. 2003;49(4):567-73.[2]ERAS Study Group. Socioeconomic deprivation and rheumatoid disease: what lessons for the health service? ERAS Study Group. Early Rheumatoid Arthritis Study. Annals of the rheumatic diseases. 2000;59(10):794-9.[3]Verstappen SMM. The impact of socio-economic status in rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2017;56(7):1051-2.[4]O’Neill J, Tabish H, Welch V, Petticrew M, Pottie K, Clarke M, et al. Applying an equity lens to interventions: using PROGRESS ensures consideration of socially stratifying factors to illuminate inequities in health. J Clin Epidemiol. 2014;67(1):56-64.Acknowledgements:This research was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


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