Homotopic stimulation can reduce the area of allodynia in patients with neuropathic pain.
Eur J Pain
; 13(9): 942-8, 2009 Oct.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19117776
ABSTRACT
Allodynia is a common, troublesome feature of neuropathic pain conditions. In a previous study of postherpetic neuralgia we observed that repeated tactile stimulation appeared to reduce the size of the area of allodynia in some patients. We have undertaken a pragmatic clinical study to characterise this phenomenon in neuropathic pain patients with a range of different aetiologies. Neuropathic pain patients with a discrete area of tactile allodynia were recruited (n=20). We assessed the sensitive area using punctate and dynamic tactile stimuli, and thermal quantitative sensory testing. On two separate testing visits, the patients had repeated (10x over 1 min) noxious heat or cotton bud strokes applied to the affected site or contralaterally. Tactile stimulation of the affected area evoked pain (median 7 NRS) and a reduction (>30%) in the area of allodynia in 9/18 patients (maximum -48+/-9%, after 20 min), although the intensity of allodynic pain was unchanged. This effect persisted for over 1h and was present the following day in all patients tested (n=5/5). No subjects showed an increase in area after allodynic stimulation. There was no change in heat pain threshold at a distant site following allodynic stimulation, suggesting no activation of diffuse noxious inhibitory control. Repeated thermal noxious stimulation (median NRS 7) could also elicit changes (>30%) in the area of allodynia in some patients (reductions in 7/20, increases in 3/20). Thus, we have found that a brief period of homotopic painful stimulation can reduce the area of allodynia in around half of patients with established neuropathic pains.
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Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Tato
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Nociceptores
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Modalidades de Fisioterapia
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Doenças do Sistema Nervoso Periférico
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Hiperalgesia
Limite:
Adult
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Aged
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Aged80
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2009
Tipo de documento:
Article