Clinical insights into traumatic injury of the inferior alveolar and lingual nerves: a comprehensive approach from diagnosis to therapeutic interventions.

OBJECTIVES: This scoping review explores the risk and management of traumatic injuries to the inferior alveolar and lingual nerves during mandibular dental procedures. Emphasizing the significance of diagnostic tools, the review amalgamates existing knowledge to offer a comprehensive overview. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search across PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library informed the analysis. RESULTS: Traumatic injuries often lead to hypo-/anesthesia and neuropathic pain, impacting individuals psychologically and socially. Diagnosis involves thorough anamnesis, clinical-neurological evaluations, and radiographic imaging. Severity varies, allowing for conservative or surgical interventions. Immediate action is recommended for reversible causes, while surgical therapies like decompression, readaptation, or reconstruction yield favorable outcomes. Conservative management, utilizing topical anesthesia, capsaicin, and systemic medications (tricyclic antidepressants, antipsychotics, and serotonin-norepinephrine-reuptake-inhibitors), proves effective for neuropathic pain. CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic nerve injuries, though common in dental surgery, often go unrecorded. Despite lacking a definitive diagnostic gold standard, a meticulous examination of the injury and subsequent impairments is crucial. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Tailoring treatment to each case's characteristics is essential, recognizing the absence of a universal solution. This approach aims to optimize outcomes, restore functionality, and improve the quality of life for affected individuals.

Neuroelectric evidences of top-down hypnotic modulation associated with somatosensory processing of sensory and limbic regions.

A large literature indicated hypnosis as a useful tool to reduce pain perception, especially in high susceptible individuals. However, due to different methodological aspects, it was still not clear whether hypnosis modulates the early sensory processing of the stimuli or if it affects only the later stages of affective processing. In the present study, we measured the EEG activity of subjects with a medium level of hypnotizability while receiving electrical non-painful stimuli on the median nerve in the conditions of awake and hypnosis with suggestions of hypoesthesia. Subjective reports indicated that hypnosis reduced both the sensory and the affective perception of the stimuli. ERP data revealed that hypnosis reduced the activity of both the early (N20) and the late (P100, P150, P250) SEP components. Neuroelectric source imaging further confirmed the top-down hypnotic modulation of a network of brain areas including the SI (N20), SII (P100), right anterior insula (P150) and cingulate cortex (P150/P250). The present study provides neurophysiological evidence to the hypnotic regulation of somatosensory inputs outside of pain, that is since the earliest stage of thalamocortical processing. Also, because present subjects were selected regardless of the level of hypnotizability, inferences from the present study are more generalizable than investigations restricted to high-hypnotizable individuals.

Transcranial direct current stimulation ameliorates tactile sensory deficit in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Deficit of tactile sensation in patients with MS is frequent and can be associated with interference with daily life activities. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) showed to increase tactile discrimination in healthy subjects. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we investigated whether tDCS may be effective in ameliorating tactile sensory deficit in MS patients. METHODS: Patients received sham or real anodal tDCS of the somatosensory cortex for 5 consecutive days in a randomized, double blind, sham-controlled study. Discrimination thresholds of spatial tactile sensation were measured using the grating orientation task (GOT). As secondary outcomes we also measured subjective perception of tactile sensory deficit through a visual analog scale (VAS), quality of life and overall disability to evaluate the impact of the treatment on patients daily life. Evaluations were performed at baseline and during a 4-week follow-up period. RESULTS: Following anodal but not sham tDCS over the somatosensory cortex, there was a significant improvement of discriminatory thresholds at the GOT and increased VAS for sensation scores. Quality of life, and disability changes were not observed. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that a five day course of anodal tDCS is able to ameliorate tactile sensory loss with long-lasting beneficial effects and could thus represent a therapeutic tool for the treatment of tactile sensory deficit in MS patients.

Hipoestesia, dor e incapacidade no membro superior após radioterapia adjuvante no tratamento para câncer de mama / Hypoesthesia, pain and disability of upper limb after adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Tratamento cirúrgico e radioterapia (RT) podem provocar dor no membro superior (MS), distúrbio funcional e prejuízo nas atividades de vida diária. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar e comparar a sensibilidade superficial (SS) no dermátomo correspondente ao nervo sensitivo intercostobraquial (NICB), a dor e a incapacidade do MS homolateral à cirurgia antes e após RT adjuvante. MÉTODO: Vinte mulheres submetidas à cirurgia incluindo linfadenectomia axilar (LA) foram avaliadas antes e imediatamente após a RT adjuvante (25-30 sessões). Para avaliar a SS, dor e incapacidade foram utilizadas: a estesiometria, o Questionário de Dor McGill (MPQ) e o Índice de Dor e Incapacidade no ombro (SPADI). Duas medidas foram obtidas através do MPQ: número de palavras escolhidas (NWC) e índice de dor (PRI). Para comparação intragrupo, adotou-se teste de Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test para amostras pareadas, p < 0,05. RESULTADOS: Após a RT houve redução significativa da SS pelo aumento da pressão exercida pelo estesiômetro de 1,9 ± 0,2 para 2,8 ± 0,2 (p = 0,004) indicando hipoestesia. No MS contralateral não houve diferença. Escores do NWC e do PRI aumentaram significativamente (p = 0,005 e p = 0,006) após a RT. Observou-se aumento significativo do escore total do SPADI após a RT (p = 0,0001), com aumento da incapacidade de 24,6 ± 5,7 para 39,2 ± 5,7 (p = 0,001) e a dor de 26,3 ± 6,4 para 48,4 ± 7,1 (p = 0,001). CONCLUSÃO: Foi identificada hipoestesia no trajeto do NICB, dor e incapacidade no MS após a RT adjuvante.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Surgery and radiotherapy (RT) may induce upper limb (UP) pain, functional disorder and daily life activities impairment. This study aimed at evaluating and comparing superficial sensitivity (SS) on the dermatome corresponding to the intercostobrachial sensory nerve (ICBN), pain and disability of UL ipsilateral to surgery before and after adjuvant RT. METHOD: Twenty females submitted to surgery including axillary lymphadenectomy (AL) were evaluated before and immediately after adjuvant RT (25-30 sessions). The following tools were used to evaluate SS, pain and disability: esthesiometry, McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ), Pain Rating Index and shoulder disability (SPADI). Two measures were obtained from MPQ: number of words chosen (NWC) and pain rating index (PRI). Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test for paired samples was used for intragroup comparison, considering significant p < 0.05. RESULTS: There has been significant SS decrease after RT by increased esthesiometer pressure from 1.9 ± 0.2 to 2.8 ± 0.2 (p = 0.004) indicating hypoesthesia. There has been no difference in contralateral UL. NWC and PRI scores have significantly increased (p = 0.005 and p = 0.006) after RT. There has been significant total SPADI score increase after RT (p = 0.0001), with increased disability from 24.6 ± 5.7 to 39.2 ± 5.7 (p = 0.001) and pain from 26.3 ± 6.4 to 48.4 ± 7.1 (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Hypoesthesia was identified in the ICBN pathway, in addition to UL pain and disability after adjuvant RT.