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Illness perception and quality of life in patients with migraine and tension-type headache.

Migraine and tension-type headache (TTH) are important health problems because cause loss of workforce, affect quality of life and are frequently associated with anxiety and depression. Illness perception is defined as a cognitive aspect of illness. The aim of this study is to determinethe relationship of migraine and TTH with quality of life, illness perception, anxiety and depression.

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Effects of Medical Cannabis Certification on Hospital Use by Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease.

Retrospective study of 36 individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) certified for medical cannabis. We sought to examine whether medical cannabis certification was associated with a change in utilization of acute care medical services for patients with SCD. We identified patients with SCD certified for medical cannabis use between July 2014 and December 2021 using the New York State Prescription Monitoring Program (NYS PMP) and cross-matching to our electronic medical record. We estimated the mean incidences of Emergency Department (ED) visits, hospital admissions, inpatient days, and total acute encounters for SCD-related pain per month pre- and post-medical cannabis certification and used paired -tests to assess the statistical significance of changes in hospital use. We stratified incidence based on whether patients had received a bone marrow transplant (BMT) at any point before or during the research period, since BMT is potentially an important covariate. Recertification rates and patients' reasons for choosing to recertify were qualitatively investigated through retrospective chart review. The incidence of ED visits, hospital admissions, and total acute encounters per month for SCD-related pain decreased pre- to post-certification (=0.02; =0.02; =0.01). These decreases lost statistical significance after stratifying patients based on BMT history. There was no statistically significant change in the number of days per month patients spent hospitalized in either the primary analysis or after stratification by BMT status. Forty-four percent of patients chose to be recertified. Thirty-six percent of patients cited concerns regarding the cost of medical cannabis. Our study did not show a statistically significant relationship between certification for medical cannabis and hospital use after addressing BMT history as a potentially important covariate. However, we were likely underpowered to detect any existing difference after patient data were stratified due to our small sample size. Regardless, 44% of patients chose to be recertified, indicating a perceived benefit and utility in further investigation of medical cannabis for this population with a larger analytic sample. Patient-reported benefits were improvement of pain and other symptoms, decreased opiate requirements, and decreased side effects compared to opiates.

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Clinically relevant mouse models of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type 2S.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is an inherited peripheral neuropathy that is clinically and genetically heterogenous. Mutations in IGHMBP2, a ubiquitously expressed DNA/RNA helicase, have been shown to cause the infantile motor neuron disease spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 (SMARD1), and, more recently, juvenile-onset Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease Type 2S (CMT2S). Using CRISPR-cas9 mutagenesis we developed the first mouse models of CMT2S (p.Glu365del (E365del) and p.Tyr918Cys (Y918C)). E365del is the first CMT2S mouse model to be discovered and Y918C is the first human CMT2S allele knock-in model. Phenotypic characterization of the homozygous models found progressive peripheral motor and sensory axonal degeneration. Neuromuscular and locomotor assays indicate that both E365del and Y918C mice have motor deficits, while neurobehavioral characterization of sensory function found that E365del mutants have mechanical allodynia. Analysis of femoral motor and sensory nerves identified axonal degeneration, which does not impact nerve conduction velocities in E365del mice, but does in the Y918C model. Based on these results, the E365del mutant mouse, as well as the human allele knock-in, Y918C, represent mouse models with the hallmark phenotypes of CMT2S, which will be critical for understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of IGHMBP2. These mice will complement existing Ighmbp2 alleles modeling SMARD1 to help understand the complex phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity that is observed in patients with IGHMBP2 variants.

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Disproportionate articular pain is a frequent phenomenon in rheumatoid arthritis and responds to treatment with sarilumab.

In some patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), joint pain is more severe than expected based on the amount of joint swelling (referred to as disproportionate articular pain [DP]). We assessed DP prevalence and effects of sarilumab, an interleukin-6 inhibitor, on DP.

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Young Adult Pain Rehabilitation: Interdisciplinary development and preliminary outcomes of a novel treatment program.

Young adults with chronic pain and symptoms experience disruptions to their social, emotional, physical, and vocational functioning. Interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation programs for pediatric and adult populations are not designed specifically to address the developmental needs of young adults. This paper describes the development of a novel intensive interdisciplinary outpatient rehabilitation program tailored to the unique needs of young adults with chronic pain and symptoms. Tailored content included vocational assessment and consultation, financial literacy education, and sexual health education. Outcome data demonstrate treatment gains with reductions in pain interference, pain severity, pain catastrophizing and depressive symptoms, and improvements in mental and physical quality of life, perceived performance, perceived satisfaction with performance, and objective measures of physical functioning. The paper concludes with clinical recommendations for the management of chronic pain and symptoms in young adults, applicable across multiple treatment settings.

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Dextrose Prolotherapy for Symptomatic Grade IV Knee Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Study of Early and Longer-Term Analgesia and Pain-Specific Cytokine Concentrations.

Neurocytokines may upregulate or downregulate neuropathic pain. We hypothesized that dextrose (D-glucose) injections for therapeutic purposes (dextrose prolotherapy: DPT) in painful knee osteoarthritis (KOA) would favorably affect synovial-fluid neurocytokine concentrations.

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A Case of Severe Hypoxia Caused by Phenazopyridine-Induced Methemoglobinemia: A near Fatal Event from Over-the-Counter Medication Use.

Methemoglobinemia is a rare blood disorder characterized by the oxidation of heme iron from ferrous (Fe) to ferric (Fe) state, which increases oxygen affinity and impairs oxygen release to the tissue causing hypoxia. It can be congenital or acquired; however, most cases are acquired and caused by exogenous substances such as medications, chemicals, and environmental substances. Phenazopyridine is an over-the-counter urinary analgesic medication commonly used for symptomatic relief of dysuria and has been reported to cause methemoglobinemia. However, only a handful of cases of phenazopyridine-induced methemoglobinemia have been reported. We present a case of an 89-year-old female who presented with severe hypoxia, shortness of breath, headache, nausea, and dizziness caused by phenazopyridine-induced methemoglobinemia. She was found to have a methemoglobin level of 21.5% and was treated with methylene blue, leading to a rapid improvement of her symptoms. She was taking one over-the-counter phenazopyridine 200 mg tablet three times daily for two weeks for her chronic dysuria. This case highlights the need to have a high index of suspicion of phenazopyridine-induced methemoglobinemia in a patient presenting with unexplained shortness of breath with a history of phenazopyridine use as it could lead to severe methemoglobinemia with hypoxia that could potentially be fatal if not promptly diagnosed.

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Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness in Episodic Vestibular Disorders.

Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV), Vestibular Migraine (VM), and Meniere Disease (MD) are among the most common episodic vestibulopathies. Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) is a chronic functional vestibular disorder that can arise in patients suffering from one or more of these conditions. We analyzed the role of these vestibular disorders as single or multiple associated comorbidities and as a precipitating condition for PPPD. A total of 376 patients suffering from dizziness with a known history of single or multiple vestibular disorders were preliminarily evaluated. We conducted a careful anamnesis to determine whether the reported dizziness could meet the diagnostic criteria for PPPD. PPPD was diagnosed in 24 cases; its incidence in patients with history of a single comorbidity or multiple vestibular comorbidities was 3.9% and 22.4%, respectively. BPPV, VM, and MD were identified as a precipitating condition in 2.34%, 16.45%, and 3.92%, respectively. BPPV constituted a precipitating condition mainly at the first episode. We observed that the presence of multiple vestibular comorbidities (BPPV, VM, and MD) in patients' clinical history increased the risk of PPPD. VM plays a significant role in representing a precipitating condition for PPPD, both when present individually or in association with the other vestibular disorders.

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A Comprehensive Review of the Neurological Manifestations of Celiac Disease and Its Treatment.

Celiac disease (CD) is a common chronic inflammatory disorder occurring in genetically predisposed individuals secondary to gluten ingestion. CD usually presents with gastrointestinal symptoms such as pain, bloating, flatulence, and constipation or diarrhea. However, individuals can present in a nonclassical manner with only extraintestinal symptoms. The neurological manifestations of CD include ataxia, cognitive impairment, epilepsy, headache, and neuropathy. A lifelong gluten-free diet is the current recommended treatment for CD. This review discusses the relevant neurological manifestations associated with CD and the novel therapeutics. Further research is required to get a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of the neurological manifestations associated with CD. Clinicians should keep CD in the differential diagnosis in individuals presenting with neurological dysfunction of unknown cause.

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Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The study aimed to identify the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) in women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

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