Laser speckle contrast imaging to predict the effect of temporary spinal cord stimulation in postherpetic neuralgia patients: A prospective observational study

Temporary spinal cord stimulation(tSCS)can effectively reduce the pain and severity of postherpetic neuralgia(PHN).However,there are no effective and objective methods for predicting the effects of tSCS on PHN.Laser speckle contrast imaging(LSCI)is frequently used in neurology to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.To assess the accuracy of LSCI in predicting the impact of tSCS on PHN,14 adult patients receiving tSCS treatments for spinal nerve-innervated(C6-T2)PHN participated in this observational study.Visual analog scale(VAS)assessments and LSCI bloodflow images of the-ngers were recorded after the tSCS procedure.The results showed that the VAS scores of all patients decreased signi-cantly.Moreover,the bloodflow index(BFI)values were signi-cantly higher than they were before the procedure.Increased bloodflow and pain alleviation were positively correlated.The-ndings indicated that spinal nerve PHN(C6-T2)was signi-cantly reduced by tSCS.Pain alleviation by tSCS was positively correlated with increased bloodflow in the hand.The effect of tSCS on PHN may thus be predicted using an independent and consistent indicator such as LSCI.

Transcranial direct current stimulation efficacy in trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is a severe,disabling pain and its deafferentation remains a challenge for health providers.Transcranial direct current stimulation is a non-invasive stimulation technique which finds new utility in managing pain.There-fore,the introduction of alternative,non-invasive,safe,and effective methods should be considered in treating patients with trigeminal neuralgia unresponsive to conventional treatment.

Meta-analysis and sequential analysis of acupuncture compared to carbamazepine in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia

BACKGROUND In this randomized controlled trial(RCT)comparing current acupuncture with carbamazepine for trigeminal neuralgia,meta-and sequential analyses were utilized.AIM To guide clinical decision making regarding the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia with carbamazepine.METHODS The RCT literature on needle comparison was searched in various Chinese biomedical databases including Chinese Biomedical Literature Database,Wanfang Data,VIP Database,as well as international databases such as Excerpt Medica Database,Cochrane Library,PubMed,and Web of Science,along with related clinical registration platforms such as World Health Organization International Clinical Trial Registry Platform,ChiCTR,and Clinical Trials up to 1 April 2020.Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaborative Risk Bias tool,primary outcome measures(pain reduction)were analyzed using STATA metaanalysis,outcome measures were analyzed using trial sequential analysis 0.9.5.10 Beta sequential analysis,GRADE was used to assess the evidence,and adverse reactions were documented.RESULTS This study analyzed 16 RCTs with a total of 1231 participants.The meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in pain reduction between acupuncture and carbamazepine[standardized mean difference(SMD)=1.47;95%confidence interval(CI):0.99-1.95],although the quality of evidence was deemed to be of extremely low quality.Cumulative meta-analysis based on the year of publication indicated that carbamazepine treatment first demonstrated a statistically significant difference in pain reduction in 2014 and remained relatively stable over time[SMD=1.84;95%CI:0.22-3.47].Additionally,the number of adverse events associated with acupuncture was significantly lower compared to carbamazepine.CONCLUSION Acupuncture for trigeminal neuralgia is better than analgesia and safer than carbamazepine;however,firm conclusions still require a high-quality,multicenter,large-sample RCT to confirm these findings.

Mechanism of Huanglian Detoxification Soup Relieving Postherpetic Neuralgia by Enhancing IL-2 Levels in Rats

[Objectives]To explore the mechanism of Huanglian detoxification soup improving pain behavior by affecting serum IL-2 levels in postherpetic neuralgia(post herpes neuralgia,PHN)model rats.[Methods]20 PHN rats were randomly divided into model group(PHN group)and detoxification decoction group(n=10).In the group,10%Huanglian detoxification soup(0.4 mL/0.1 kg)was given once in the morning and evening for 14 d.The PHN group was filled with an equal volume of 0.9%sodium chloride solution.Tail vein serum inflammatory factor interleukin-2(IL-2),IL-βand IL-6 levels were measured using ELISA kits at 7 and 21 d.[Results]IL-2 increased at 14 and 21 d in IL group,while IL-βand IL-6 decreased compared with the PHN group(P<0.05).[Conclusions]Huanglian detoxification soup may raise IL-2 levels after VZV infection to promote the differentiation of cells of the immune system,so as to relieve the pain caused by IL-βand IL-6 inflammatory factors.

Analysis of the Degree of Psychological Distress of Elderly Patients with Recurrent Trigeminal Neuralgia and Its Influencing Factors

Objective:To analyze the degree of psychological distress among elderly patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia and its influencing factors.Methods:A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted on 126 elderly patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia who visited the Pain Department of our hospital from March 2022 to April 2024.Logistic regression analysis was employed to evaluate the factors influencing psychological distress,based on general patient data,the Distress Thermometer(DT),the Perceived Social Support from Family Scale(PSS-Fa),and the Pitsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI).Results:Among the 126 elderly patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia,those with a DT score≥4(72 patients,57.14%)were more prevalent than those with a DT score<4(54 patients,42.86%).The average DT score for all patients was 4.35±1.72.Patients in the DT score≥4 group were older than those in the DT score<4 group(t=4.207,P=0.000),had lower PSS-Fa scores(t=5.925,P=0.000),and had higher PSQI scores(t=17.858,P=0.000).There were no statistically significant differences in gender,marital status,residence area,education level,disease type,or pain location(all P>0.05).Older age and poor sleep quality were identified as independent risk factors for psychological distress in elderly patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia(OR=1.258,OR=1.713,both P<0.05),while higher levels of family support were identified as a protective factor(OR=0.581,P=0.025).Conclusion:Elderly patients with recurrent trigeminal neuralgia experience psychological distress,and the degree of severity depends on age,quality of sleep,and level of family support.

Interpeduncular cistern intrathecal targeted drug delivery for intractable postherpetic neuralgia: A case report

BACKGROUND Intractable postherpetic neuralgia(PHN)can be difficult to manage even with aggressive multimodal therapies.Patients who experience uncontrolled refractory cranial PHN despite conservative treatment may benefit from an intrathecal drug delivery system(IDDS).For craniofacial neuropathic pain,the traditional approach has been to place the intrathecal catheter tip below the level of the cranial nerve root entry zones,which may lead to insufficient analgesia.CASE SUMMARY We describe a 69-year-old man with a 1-year history of PHN after developing a vesicular rash in the ophthalmic division of cranial nerve V(trigeminal nerve)distribution.The pain was rated 7-8 at rest and 9-10 at breakthrough pain(BTP)on a numeric rating scale.Despite receiving aggressive multimodal therapies including large doses of oral analgesics(gabapentin 150 mg q12 h,oxycodone 5 mg/acetaminophen 325 mg q6 h,and lidocaine 5%patch 700 mg q12 h)and sphenopalatine ganglion block,there was no relief of pain.Subsequently,the patient elected to have an implantable IDDS with the catheter tip placed at the interpeduncular cistern.The frequency of BTP episodes decreased.The patient’s continuous daily dose was adjusted to 0.032 mg/d after 3 mo of follow-up and stopped 5 mo later.He did not report pain or other discomfort at outpatient follow-up 6 mo and 1 year after stopping intracisternal hydromorphone.CONCLUSION The use of interpeduncular cistern intrathecal infusion with low-dose hydromorphone by IDDS may be effective for severe craniofacial PHN.

Analgesic effects of different acupuncture therapies on postherpetic neuralgia:a Bayes⁃ian network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE To assess the effi⁃cacy and safety of acupuncture-related treat⁃ments for postherpetic neuralgia(PHN),identify the most effective acupuncture and related treat⁃ments.METHODS PubMed,Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials,Embase,Web of Science,and four Chinese databases,a clinical research registration platform,and grey literature were searched.We evaluated the risk of bias and quality in the included studies and per⁃formed a Bayesian multiple network meta-analysis.RESULTS We included 29 randomized controlled trials comprising 1973 patients,of which approximately 17.24%showed a high risk of bias.According to the Jadad scale,2,16,and 11 studies were high,medium,and low quality,respectively.The pairwise meta-analysis results revealed that the efficacy of all acupuncture-related treatments for pain relief related to PHN showed the difference was statistically significant com⁃pared with that of antiepileptics.The network meta-analysis results showed that pricking and cupping plus antiepileptics were the most effective,followed by electroacupuncture(EA)plus antiepileptics for pain relief in patients with PHN.EA plus antiepileptics ranked the best regarding reduced Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Self-Rating Depression Scale scores in patients with PHN.No results were found regarding total response rate or quality of life among this study.Acupuncture-related treatments showed a lower incidence of adverse events than that of antiepi⁃leptics-related treatments.CONCLUSION Acu⁃puncture-related therapies may be potential treat⁃ment options for PHN and are relatively safe.Pricking and cupping plus antiepileptics are the most effective techniques for pain relief.EA plus antiepileptics is the best approach for improving insomnia and depression symptoms of PHN.

Motor cortex transcranial magnetic stimulation to reduce intractable postherpetic neuralgia with poor response to other threapies:Report of two cases

BACKGROUND Postherpetic neuralgia(PHN)is a typical neuropathic pain condition that appears in the lesioned skin regions following the healing of shingles.The pain condition tends to persist,which is often accompanied by negative emotions(e.g.,anxiety and depression)and substantially reduces the quality of life.In addition to analgesia(e.g.,pregabalin and gabapentin),nerve radiofrequency technology is an effective treatment for intractable PHN.However,there is still a significant portion of patients who do not benefit from this treatment.As a non-invasive form of brain stimulation,repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)targeting the motor cortex is able to reduce neuropathic pain with grade A evidence.CASE SUMMARY Here we report two cases in which motor cortex rTMS was used to treat intractable PHN that did not respond to initial drug and radiofrequency therapies.Moreover,we specifically investigated rTMS efficacy at 3 mo following treatment.CONCLUSION Motor cortex rTMS can treat intractable PHN that did not respond to initial drug and radiofrequency therapies.

Electroacupuncture alleviates orofacial allodynia and anxiety-like behaviors by regulating synaptic plasticity of the CA1 hippocampal region in a mouse model of trigeminal neuralgia

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether electroacupuncture(EA)ameliorates abnormal trigeminal neuralgia(TN)orofacial pain and anxiety-like behavior by altering synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus CA1.METHODS A mouse infraorbital nerve transection model(pTION)of neuropathic pain was established,and EA or sham EA was used to treat ipsilateral acu⁃puncture points(GV20-Baihui and ST7-Xia⁃guan).Golgi-Cox staining and transmission elec⁃tron microscopy(TEM)were administrated to observe the changes of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus CA1.RESULTS Stable and persistent orofacial allodynia and anxiety-like behav⁃iors induced by pT-ION were related to changes in hippocampal synaptic plasticity.Golgi stain⁃ings showed a decrease in the density of dendritic spines,especially mushroom-type dendritic spines,in hippocampal CA1 neurons of pT-ION mice.TEM results showed that the density of synapses,membrane thickness of the postsynaptic density,and length of the synaptic active zone were decreased,whereas the width of the synaptic cleft was increased in pTION mice.EA attenu⁃ated pT-ION-induced orofacial allodynia and anx⁃iety-like behaviors and effectively reversed the abnormal changes in dendritic spines and syn⁃apse of the hippocampal CA1 region.CONCLU⁃SION EA modulates synaptic plasticity of hippo⁃campal CA1 neurons,and reduces abnormal oro⁃facial pain and anxiety-like behavior,providing evidence for a TN treatment strategy.

H7N9 avian influenza with first manifestation of occipital neuralgia:A case report

BACKGROUND Most of the first symptoms of avian influenza are respiratory symptoms,and cases with occipital neuralgia as the first manifestation are rarely reported.CASE SUMMARY A middle-aged patient complaining of paroxysmal pain behind the ear was admitted to our hospital.The patient’s condition changed rapidly,and high fever,unexpected respiratory failure,and multiple organ failure developed rapidly.The patient was diagnosed with H7N9 avian influenza based on etiology.CONCLUSION We believe that the etiology of occipital neuralgia is complex and could be the earliest manifestation of severe diseases.The possibility of an infectious disease should be considered when occipital neuralgia is accompanied by fever.Avian influenza is one of these causative agents.

Treatment of postherpetic neuralgia by bone marrow aspirate injection:A case report

BACKGROUND Postherpetic neuralgia(PHN)is the most frequent and a difficult-to-treat complication of herpes zoster(HZ).Its symptoms include allodynia,hyperalgesia,burning,and an electric shock-like sensation stemming from the hyperexcitability of damaged neurons and varicella-zoster virus-mediated inflammatory tissue damage.HZ-related PHN has an incidence of 5%–30%,and in some patients,the pain is intolerable and can lead to insomnia or depression.In many cases,the pain is resistant to pain-relieving drugs,necessitating radical therapy.CASE SUMMARY We present the case of a patient with PHN whose pain was not cured by conventional treatments,such as analgesics,block injections,or Chinese medicines,but by bone marrow aspirate concentrate(BMAC)injection containing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.BMAC has already been used for joint pains.However,this is the first report on its use for PHN treatment.CONCLUSION This report reveals that bone marrow extract can be a radical therapy for PHN.

Percutaneous Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation for the Treatment of Different Types of Trigeminal Neuralgia:Evaluation of Quality of Life and Outcomes

Radiofrequency thermocoagulation(RFT) of the gasserian ganglion is a routine and effective technique for the treatment of classical trigeminal neuralgia(CTN).In this study we compared its efficacy in patients with CTN and atypically symptomatic or mixed trigeminal neuralgia(MTN).Fifty-seven patients were treated with RFT for trigeminal neuralgia from June 2006 to February 2009.Thirty patients had CTN,and 27 had MTN.Outcomes were measured by using the visual analog pain scale(VAS) and patients’ reports of quality of life(QOL),medication usage,and complications over a follow-up period of up to 3 years.Our results showed that the patients with MTN were younger,tended to have bilaterial involvement of the first division,and were unresponsive to treatment.All surgeries were completed smoothly.About 86.7% CTN patients and 48.1% MTN patients responded immediately to RFT.The VAS scores were significantly higher in the CTN group than in MTN group(P<0.05).Kaplan-Meier curves showed that 1-year,2-year,and 3-year pain relief rates were 76.7%,73.3%,and 73.3% in the CTN group and 46.6%,41.4%,and 41.4% in the MTN group,respectively.The rates of pain relief for both groups leveled off at 2 years.Complications included numbness,dysesthesia,and anesthesia dolorosa.RFT did not cause any deaths and complications were low.The treatment was very effective for CTN and,to some degrees,effective for MTN.If numbness,dysesthesia,and anesthesia dolorosa are limited to the trigger area,QOL will be greatly improved.

Characterization of neurovascular compression in facial neuralgia patients by 3D high-resolution MRI and image fusion technique

Objective:To describe the anatomical characteristics and patterns of neurovascular compression (NVC) in patients suffering trigeminal neuralgia(TN) by 3D high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) method and image fusion technique.Methods:The anatomic structure of trigeminal nerve,brain stem and blood vessel was observed in 100 consecutive TN patients by 3D high resolution MRI(3D SPGR,contrast-enhanced T1 3D MP-RAGE and T2/T1 3D FIESTA). The 3D image sources were fused and visualized using 3D DOCTOR software.Results:One or several NVC sites,which usually appeared 0-9.8 mm away from brain stem,were found on the symptomatic side in 93%of the TN cases.Superior cerebellar artery was involved in 76%(71/93) of these cases.The other vessels including antero-inferior cerebellar artery,vertebral artery, basilar artery and veins also contributed to the occurrence of NVC.The NVC sites were found to be located in the proximal segment in 42%of these cases(39/93) and in the distal segment in 45% (42/93).Nerve dislocation or distortion was observed in 32%(30/93).Conclusions:Various 3D high resolution MRI methods combined with the image fusion technique could provide pathologic anatomic information for the diagnosis and treatment of TN.

Triple Puncture for Primary Trigeminal Neuralgia:A Randomized Clinical Trial

To evaluate the effect of triple puncture on primary trigeminal neuralgia (pTN),64 patients with pTN were randomly assigned to two groups:treatment group and control group.The participants in the treatment group received triple puncture treatment of 6 times per week for 4 weeks,and those in control group were given carbamazepine (300-600 mg per day) for at least 1 month.Before and after treatment,the primary outcomes including the total efficiency rate and the VAS pain scores,and the secondary outcomes including the frequency of pain attack and adverse events were observed.Sixty-two participants finished the study (33 in treatment group and 29 in control group individually).After treatment,the symptoms (mainly pain) of the two groups were alleviated.The total efficiency rate in the treatment group and control group was 90.9% and 75.9% respectively.The VAS pain scores and frequency of pain attack were significantly reduced in the treatment group as compared with the control group (P<0.05).The incidence of adverse events in the treatment group and control group was 9.1% and 24.1% respectively.It can be inferred that triple puncture can effectively improve the quality of life of patients with pTN and has less side effects.

Trigeminal extracranial thermocoagulation along with patientcontrolled analgesia with esketamine for refractory postherpetic neuralgia after herpes zoster ophthalmicus:A case report

BACKGROUND Primary trigeminal neuralgia can achieve satisfactory results through clinical treatment and intervention.The pathogenesis of neuralgia caused by varicellazoster virus infection of the trigeminal nerve is more complex,and it is still difficult to relieve the pain in some patients simply by drug treatment or surgical intervention.CASE SUMMARY A 66-year-old woman was hospitalized with herpetic neuralgia after herpes zoster ophthalmicus(varicella-zoster virus infects the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve).On admission,the patient showed spontaneous,electric shocklike and acupuncture-like severe pain in the left frontal parietal region,and pain could be induced by touching the herpes area.The numerical rating scale(NRS)was 9.There was no significant pain relief after pulsed radiofrequency and thermocoagulation of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve.Combined with patient-controlled intravenous analgesia(PCIA)with esketamine,neuralgia was significantly improved.The patient had no spontaneous pain or allodynia at discharge,and the NRS score decreased to 2 points.The results of follow-up 2 mo after discharge showed that the NRS score was≤3,and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score was 5 points.There were no adverse reactions.CONCLUSION Trigeminal extracranial thermocoagulation combined with esketamine PCIA may be a feasible method for the treatment of refractory herpetic neuralgia after herpes zoster ophthalmicus.

Differences in individual susceptibility affect the development of trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is a syndrome due to dysfunctional hyperactivity of the trigeminal nerve, and is characterized by a sudden, usually unilateral, recurrent lancinating pain arising from one or more divisions of the nerve. The most accepted pathogenetic mechanism for trigeminal neuralgia is compression of the nerve at its dorsal root entry zone or in its distal course. In this paper, we report four cases with trigeminal neuralgia due to an unknown mechanism after an intracranial intervention The onset of trigeminal neuralgia after surgical interventions that are unrelated to the trigeminal nerve suggests that in patients with greater individual susceptibility, nerve contact with the vascular structure due to postoperative pressure and changes in cerebrospinal fluid flow may cause the onset of pain.

THREE-DIMENSIONAL COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY-GUIDED RADIOFREQUENCY TRIGEMINAL RHIZOTOMY FOR TREATMENT OF IDIOPATHIC TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of three-dimensional computed tomography （3D-CT） guided radiofi＇equency trigeminal rhizotomy （RF-TR） in treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia （1TN）. Methods From 1999 to 2001, 18 patients with ITN were treated with percutaneous controlled RF-TR. Intraoperative 3D-CT scanning was performed to guide the trajectory of the puncture. After correction of the needle tip according to the CT scans and stimulation effects, 2 to 5 lesions were made for a duration of 60-90 seconds at a temperature of 60℃ to 75℃ depending on the pain distribution and the age of patient. The needles located in foramen ovale. Pain alleviated immediately with no serious complication in all patients. The patients were followed up for an average of 31.5 months （range 24-41 months）. Acute pain relief was experienced by 17 patients after the procedure, reaching an initial success rate of 94.4%. Early （〈 6 months） pain recurrence was observed in 2 patients （11.1%）, whereas late （〉 6 months） recurrence was reported in 3 patients （16.7%）. Thirteen patients had complete pain control, with no need for medication thereafter. Five cases experienced partial pain relief, but required medication at a lower dose than in the preoperative period. Conclusion 3D-CT foramen ovale locations can raise the successful rate of puncture, enhance the safety, and reduce the incidence rate of complication.

OBSERVATION ON THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF BLOOD-LETTING PUNCTURE WITH CUPPING IN ACUTE TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA

In the present paper, 45 cases of acute trigemina] neuralgia were treated and observed by comparative method. Results showed no significant difference in transient analgesic effect (P】 0.05) but a significant difference in therapeutic effect (P【 0.01) between the treatment and control groups. This indicates that blood-letting puncture with cupping is an effective therapy for the disease.

Therapeutic Effects of the Point-injection Therapy on Primary Trigeminal Neuralgia An Observation of 103 Cases

From 1996 to 1999, the author treated 103 cases of primary trigeminal neuralgia by point-injection with lidocaine, VB1 and VB12, and obtained quite good therapeutic results. A report follows.

Application of Customized Navigated Template for Percutaneous Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation Treatment of Primary Trigeminal Neuralgia

Objective: To investigate the successful rate and accuracy of percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation (PRT) for treatment of primary trigeminal neuralgia (PTN) with customized navigated template via three dimensional (3D) printing technique. Methods: 65 patients with PTN were recruited from January 2014 to March 2015 and randomly divided into two groups: template group (n = 28) and traditional group (n = 37). The patients in traditional group received PRT under guidance of C-arm fluoroscopy, while the ones in template group were treated with customized navigated templates. The data of time, depth and accuracy rate of puncture, the average effective dose equivalent of radiation, complications after operation were collected and analyzed. Results: No intra-operative failures occurred in the template group: the pain was alleviated immediately after operation. Accuracy rate of the template group was 100% while 96% was achieved in traditional group. However, the average time of puncture by the template was significantly reduced compared with traditional group (2.37 ± 0.64 minutes and 24.2 ± 6.55 minutes, respectively;P 0.05). No complications were observed in template group while several complications such as blooding, leakage of cerebrospinal fluid and dizziness were observed in traditional group. Conclusion: The application of customized template is advocated for improving the accuracy of PRT.