However, cold hypersensitivity and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivity in the dorsal horn was not affected by a PRF procedure. Conclusions. Our result demonstrated that the mechanical hypersensitivity, GPCR Compound Library induced by L5 SNL, was attenuated by a PRF procedure on the ipsilateral DRG. This analgesic effect may be associated with an attenuation of the microglial

activation in the dorsal horn.”
“Purpose To elicit neck pain (NP) patients’ preference scores for their current health, and investigate the association between their scores and NP disability.

Methods Rating scale scores (RSs) and standard gamble scores (SGs) for current health were elicited from chronic NP patients (n = 104) and patients with NP following a motor vehicle accident (n = 116). Patients were stratified into Von Korff Pain Grades: Grade I (low-intensity pain, few activity limitations); Grade II (high-intensity pain, few activity limitations); Grade III ( pain with high disability levels, moderate activity limitations); and Grade IV ( painwith high disability levels, several learn more activity limitations). Multivariable regression quantified the association between preference scores and NP disability.

Results Mean SGs and RSs were as follows: Grade I patients: 0.81, 0.76; Grade II:

0.70, 0.60; Grade III: 0.64, 0.44; Grade IV: 0.57, 0.39. The association between preference scores and NP disability depended on type of NP and preference-elicitation method. Chronic NP patients’ scores were more strongly associated with depressive symptoms than with NP disability. In both samples, NP disability explained little more than random variance in SGs, and up to 51% of variance in RSs.

Conclusion Health-related quality-of-life is considerably diminished in NP patients. Depressive symptoms and preference-elicitation methods influence preference scores that NP patients assign to their health.”
“Objective. Musculoskeletal pain has been associated with N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated mechanisms. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigated the effect of the NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine (25 mg sublingually) on modulating experimental muscle

pain. Design. Two groups (N = 11/group) of age- and sex-matched healthy subjects performed eccentric exercise using the nondominant arm wrist SNX-5422 extensors (time 0) to induce muscle soreness 24 hours later (time 1). Intervention. Immediately prior to exercise, subjects were administered either a 25 mg ketamine lozenge or a placebo. At time 1, experimental muscle pain was augmented by injection of hypertonic saline into the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) muscle of the exercised arm. Outcome Measures. Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), muscle soreness, muscle pain intensity (electronic visual analog scale [VAS]), and maximal wrist extension force were assessed at time 0 (pre- and postexercise) and at time 1 (pre-, during, and post saline-induced pain). Results. Regardless of group, PPT was reduced at ECRB (P < 0.