Active clinical trials for "Hyperalgesia"

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether using ultra-low dose naloxone, an opioid antagonist, has the potential to block remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia and tolerance following surgery. There are 3 study groups: (1) low dose remifentanil (LO, 0.1 micrograms/kg/mL), (2) high dose remifentanil (0.4 mg) combined with placebo (HI, 0.4 micrograms/kg/mL), or (3) high dose remifentanil (0.4 mg) combined with ultra-low dose naloxone (HN, 0.004 micrograms/kg/mL naloxone). The hypothesis of the study is that occurrence of remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia (low score in mechanical pain threshold) in the HN group will be lower than in the HI group.

The investigators propose to conduct a dose-escalation trial of an FDA-approved antiepileptic drug, lacosamide, added to opioid therapy in patients with chronic abdominal pain from chronic pancreatitis (CP). This pilot trial will test the feasibility of the study design and provide reassurance regarding the tolerability and safety of lacosamide used concomitantly with opioids in this patient population to reduce the condition known clinically as opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH).

Improving the anesthesiology management for surgical correction of spinal deformations with introducing the diagnostic methods and treatment strategy of acute pain, preventing the evolution of chronic pain. Development and implementation in clinical practice perioperative intensive care protocols for surgical correction of spinal deformities.

Also known as a "moving itch", knismesis is a mildly annoying sensation caused by a light movement on the skin, such as from a crawling insect. Its underlying mechanism rely on spatial summation, i.e. amplification of the signal due to summation of stimulated fields, like it is for dynamic allodynia in neuropathic pain. This physiological study aims at determining the physical factors of the cutaneous stimulation inducing knismesis as well as the effect of confounding factors. The main area of exploration will be the back, because of its size and the possibility to blind the participant. The information collected, along with animal data in surrogate models, would help to better understand neuropathic pain in the future.

Chronic pain management is complex, with healthcare providers historically relying on prescribing opioid medications such as morphine. Although opioids may partially improve pain, there are risks associated with them as well, including pain worsening, side effects, addiction and overdose. It is now understood that the management of chronic pain is more effective when multiple healthcare team members work together and incorporate multiple strategies instead of focusing solely on medications. An example of an effective, non-drug strategy for pain is a service offered by clinical psychologists called "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy" - or ACT - which empowers individuals, to implement alternative ways of thinking about and reacting to pain and its effect on their lives. Canada has responded to the opioid overdose crisis with new guidelines that encourage physicians and those suffering from chronic pain to aim for lower opioid doses whenever possible, a process often referred to as "tapering." Unsurprisingly, tapering opioids is often difficult for patients to consider, primarily due to misconceptions that it will cause more harm than good. This project aims to address these misconceptions by developing and offering an all-day educational workshop for patients, co-presented by a healthcare team (clinical psychologists, pharmacists and physicians), to provide in-depth information on opioid related risks and misconceptions, as well as a large component focusing on ACT training. Investigators then want to see if these sessions change individual attitudes towards opioid tapering and if it improves willingness and ability to successfully reduce opioid doses to a safer level.

Combination of guanfacine with opioid medication as a standard treatment for chronic pain.

Dual medication (guanfacine and morphine) as a standard treatment for chronic pain.

Recent studies have focused on the role of endogenous opioids on central sensitization. Central sensitization is known to be impaired or altered in chronic pain conditions, as fibromyalgia or chronic tension headache. Animal studies have shown reinstatement of mechanical hypersensitivity following naloxone administration after resolution of an injury. This suggests latent sensitization. In the present study, the investigators hypothesize that a high-dose target-controlled naloxone infusion (total dose: 3.25 mg/kg) can reinstate pain and hyperalgesia 6-8 weeks after a unilateral primary open groin hernia repair procedure. The investigators aim to show that latent sensitization is present in humans and is modulated by endogenous opioids.

This exploratory study is to improve an established pain model by a new stimulation profile that allows preferential activation of C fibers that are of main clinical interest in chronic pain and also to generate a stable secondary hyperalgesia, which is of particular interest in the actual research of acute and chronic pain. It is to investigate if the specific activation of afferent sensory fibers and expected lower current intensities makes it more comfortable for the participant as motor neuron activation is much less pronounced at low current intensities. Therefore it compares the area under the curve (AUC) of hyperalgesia during electrical, intracutaneous 25 ms half-sine wave stimulation at a pain level of the numeric rating scale (NRS) of 6 out of 10 for 65 minutes compared to 500 µs rectangular pulses.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex, multifactorial syndrome characterized by widespread chronic pain with hyperal- gesia and allodynia and a constellation of somatic and psychological manifestations, including fatigue, sleep dis- orders, depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal and cognitive disorders. FM is now recognized as one of the most common chronic pain conditions and its management remains a challenge for patients and healthcare profes- sionals. The fact that FM is associated with chronic pain without any obvious peripheral tissue damage has given rise to the concept of nociplastic pain with evidence of dysfunction in mono-aminergic neurotransmission, lead- ing to elevated levels of excitatory neurotransmitters and decreased levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in the spinal cord at the level of descending anti-nociceptive pathways. Additionally, dopamine dysregulation and altered activity of endogenous cerebral opioids have been observed in FM. Recent European guidelines on FM treatment emphasize that there should be a comprehensive assessment of patient's pain, function and psychosocial context. It is recognized that there are profound and fundamental problems associated with the pain assessment tools in common use, as most of these represent an attempt to reduce a multidimensional experience to a coarse unidimensional measure. Use of multiple tools for sub- jective and objective assessment of pain may reflect more accurately patient's pain experience. Furthermore, tracing a biologic pain marker in FM patients would facilitate both the initial assessment of pain and the re- sponse to treatment. Management of pain in FM patients should focus first on non-pharmacological modalities. Acupuncture therapy is an effective and safe treatment and exerts its analgesic effect through activation of pe- ripheral and central pain control systems with the release of β-endorphins, enkephalins, dynorphins, serotonin, norepinephrine, γ-aminobutyric acid or ATP. The aim of our study is to assess initially reported pain and evaluate the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (with or without diet modifications) on the "whole experience of pain" in FM patients in a multimodel assessment frame.