PAIN®Pub Date : 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003816
Colette Ridehalgh,Joel Fundaun,Stephen Bremner,Mara Cercignani,Soraya Koushesh,Annina B Schmid,Andrew Dilley
{"title":"Temporal development of peripheral neuroinflammation in whiplash-associated disorder grade II and its role in chronicity.","authors":"Colette Ridehalgh,Joel Fundaun,Stephen Bremner,Mara Cercignani,Soraya Koushesh,Annina B Schmid,Andrew Dilley","doi":"10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003816","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003816","url":null,"abstract":"Whiplash injuries cause considerable pain and disability. Most individuals are diagnosed with whiplash-associated disorder grade II (WADII), which is defined by the absence of frank nerve injury. However, studies indicate possible peripheral neuroinflammation in some individuals with WADII that may contribute to symptoms. The temporal changes of peripheral neuroinflammation in WADII remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the course of peripheral neuroinflammation from acute to chronic stages and assess whether neuroinflammation in the acute stage predicts recovery 6 months postinjury. Sixty-two WADII participants, who were examined within 4 weeks of a whiplash injury, returned for a follow-up appointment at 6 months. Thirty-two percent (n = 20) of participants considered themselves to be all better at 6 months based on a global recovery question. Magnetic resonance imaging T2-weighted signal ratio of the C5 to C8 roots of the brachial plexus, associated dorsal root ganglia, and median nerve, were similar at both time points. Signs of heightened nerve mechanosensitivity reduced significantly at 6 months, as did mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in the upper limb. Inflammatory mediator serum levels were unaltered at 6 months, except for tumour necrosis factor-α, which was reduced. Multivariable regression analysis indicated that heightened nerve mechanosensitivity (reduced elbow range of motion) in the acute stage was weakly prognostic for neuropathic pain classification at 6 months. Although many participants recovered at 6 months, the data show that peripheral neuroinflammation may persist in some individuals. These findings highlight the complexity of WADII and the contribution of neuroinflammation in both acute and chronic stages.","PeriodicalId":19921,"journal":{"name":"PAIN®","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145277299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PAIN®Pub Date : 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003811
Michael C Brown,Andrzej S Kosinski,Rebecca Fillipo,Georgia Howell,Minh-Huy Giang,Micah Hurewitz,William Kornahrens,Colleen A Burke,Steven Z George,Flavia P Kapos,Stephanie T Danyluk,Carla A Kingsbury,Kelley Seebeck,Christopher E Lewis,Cecilia Plez,Emily Ford,Adam P Goode
{"title":"Patterns and trajectories of peripheral inflammatory cytokines, immune tolerance, and lymphocyte differentiation predict transition from acute to chronic low back pain in a sex- and age-specific manner.","authors":"Michael C Brown,Andrzej S Kosinski,Rebecca Fillipo,Georgia Howell,Minh-Huy Giang,Micah Hurewitz,William Kornahrens,Colleen A Burke,Steven Z George,Flavia P Kapos,Stephanie T Danyluk,Carla A Kingsbury,Kelley Seebeck,Christopher E Lewis,Cecilia Plez,Emily Ford,Adam P Goode","doi":"10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003811","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003811","url":null,"abstract":"The immune system mediates pain perception in preclinical models. Yet, the role of the immune system in transition to a chronic pain state in humans remains unclear, and biomarkers to inform the clinical management and/or development of therapies to prevent chronic pain are needed. We leveraged peripheral blood from 2 community-based cohorts of adults with an acute low back pain (LBP) episode (n = 108) to define the relationship(s) between the transition to chronic LBP and peripheral inflammation, immune cell phenotypes and functionalities, and their trajectories. Distinct patterns of baseline plasma cytokine profiles associated with transition to chronic LBP in a sex-dependent manner, of which lower IFN-β and TNF and higher IL-18 and BDNF were associated with chronic LBP development. Analysis of peripheral immune cells uncovered relationships between monocyte, T-cell, and B-cell inflammation and transition to chronic LBP that were influenced by both sex and age. It revealed relatively tolerized immune responses in participants who did not transition to chronic LBP. Baseline inflammatory cytokine and immune cell features improved the prediction of the transition to chronic LBP relative to established self-reported pain measures alone. While perceived pain at baseline was more strongly associated with immune cell phenotypes, B-cell maturation trajectories uniquely predicted transition to chronic LBP independent of self-reported pain intensity/frequency, sex, and age. Collectively, these data demonstrate that distinct patterns of peripheral inflammation are associated with the transition to chronic LBP and point towards a unique association between B-cell maturation and the development of a chronic pain state.","PeriodicalId":19921,"journal":{"name":"PAIN®","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145277300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The role of corticolimbic perineuronal nets in mice with chronic neuropathic pain.","authors":"Samantha Cermak,Gabriella Sekerková,Marco Martina,A Vania Apkarian","doi":"10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003825","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003825","url":null,"abstract":"Chronic pain is associated with maladaptive plasticity of corticolimbic brain regions. Perineuronal nets (PNNs), specialized extracellular matrix structures that surround neurons, regulate brain plasticity. We investigated the role of PNNs in the spared-nerve injury (SNI) model of neuropathic pain. We observed increased PNNs in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens of SNI mice. However, targeted degradation of PNNs in the prefrontal cortex exacerbated mechanical sensitivity in both SNI and sham mice without altering cold allodynia perception. By contrast, degradation of PNNs in the nucleus accumbens reduced allodynia in SNI mice. These findings indicate distinct regional roles of corticolimbic PNNs in neuropathic pain.","PeriodicalId":19921,"journal":{"name":"PAIN®","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145246501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Complex regional pain syndrome evolution is determined by both biological and psychosocial factors: a 1-year prospective observational study.","authors":"Marc-Henri Louis,Valéry Legrain,Vladimir Aron,Lieve Filbrich,André Mouraux,Séverine Henrard,Laurent Guillaume,Dominique Mouraux,Olivier Barbier,Xavier Libouton,Anne Berquin","doi":"10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003815","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003815","url":null,"abstract":"Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a challenging condition with unpredictable clinical evolution. Identifying early prognostic factors could transform patient management and improve outcomes. This prospective study followed 113 patients with early CRPS (<6 months) over 1 year to assess clinical evolution and investigate key predictors of chronification. Participants underwent repeated clinical assessments, quantitative sensory testing, and self-reported evaluations at 4 time points over 1 year. Multivariable mixed-effect models were used to identify independent early prognostic factors. Despite some improvement, 35% of the participants still met Budapest criteria at 1 year, with persistent pain, disability, and impaired quality of life. Sensory profiles appeared to stabilize after a few months, while body perception disturbance scores did not change during the follow-up period. Psychosocial factors, such as baseline disability, psychosocial severity, and social support, as well as body mass index and allodynia, were predictors of long-term outcomes. Biopsychosocial Early CRPS profiles defined through a latent class analysis carried out on the basis of data measured at inclusion revealed distinct clinical trajectories and showed stronger prognostic value than previously suggested CRPS classifications (eg, based on skin temperature). These findings highlight the importance of an early assessment incorporating biopsychosocial elements to stratify risk and tailor interventions. Our study paves the way for the development of a clinical tool to predict CRPS evolution, potentially enabling tailored treatments. Future research should validate these predictive models and explore their integration into routine practice, potentially improving the management of early CRPS.","PeriodicalId":19921,"journal":{"name":"PAIN®","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145246931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PAIN®Pub Date : 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003814
Jonathan D Enders,Eve K Prodoehl,Anvitha Sriram,Signe M Penn,Cheryl L Stucky
{"title":"Episodic pain in Fabry disease is mediated by a heat shock protein-transient receptor potential cation channel A1 axis.","authors":"Jonathan D Enders,Eve K Prodoehl,Anvitha Sriram,Signe M Penn,Cheryl L Stucky","doi":"10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003814","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003814","url":null,"abstract":"Two-thirds of patients with Fabry disease suffer debilitating pain attacks triggered by exercise, fever, and exposure to environmental heat. These patients face an even greater risk of heat-related episodic pain in the face of global climate change. Almost nothing is known about the biological mechanisms underlying heat-induced pain crises in Fabry disease, and there is no preclinical model available to study Fabry crises. Here, we established the first model of heat-induced pain attacks in Fabry disease by exposing transgenic Fabry rats to environmental heat. Heat exposure precipitated robust mechanical hypersensitivity, closely matching temporal features reported by patients with Fabry disease. At the cellular level, heat exposure sensitized Fabry dorsal root ganglia neurons to agonists for transient receptor potential cation channel A1 (TRPA1), but not transient potential cation channel vanilloid 1. The heat shock response, which normally confers heat-resilience, was impaired in Fabry disease, and we demonstrated that heat shock proteins (HSP70 and HSP90) regulate TRPA1. Strikingly, pharmacologically inhibiting HSP90 completely prevented cellular and behavioral sensitization by environmental heat in Fabry disease. Together, this work establishes the first model of episodic pain in Fabry disease, implicates the heat shock response in heat-evoked pain episodes, and identifies a novel heat shock protein-TRPA1 regulatory axis.","PeriodicalId":19921,"journal":{"name":"PAIN®","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145209163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PAIN®Pub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-07-14DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003741
Gabriela Rolová, Anders Engeland, Line Pedersen, Ingvild Odsbu, Aleksi Hamina, Svetlana Skurtveit
{"title":"Reply to the Chen and Chen.","authors":"Gabriela Rolová, Anders Engeland, Line Pedersen, Ingvild Odsbu, Aleksi Hamina, Svetlana Skurtveit","doi":"10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003741","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003741","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19921,"journal":{"name":"PAIN®","volume":"166 10","pages":"e493-e494"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145075792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impacts of opioid stewardship in surgical settings: a scoping review.","authors":"Dereje Zewdu Assefa, Ting Xia, Yonas Getaye Tefera, Monica Jung, Suzanne Nielsen","doi":"10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003594","DOIUrl":"10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003594","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Opioid stewardship programs have been implemented in many countries to reduce harms related to prescription opioid use. Yet, there is an evidence gap on the impact of these programs in surgical settings. This systematic scoping review aimed to examine the impact of opioid stewardship on opioid use and clinical outcomes, alongside assessing adherence, and barriers to its implementation in surgical settings. A systematic search strategy was developed and applied among 7 electronic databases for published literature. In total, 100 eligible articles were included in the review. Most studies showed that opioid stewardship reduced the quantity of opioid use (in 83/88 studies; 94%) and the number of days of opioid supplied (15/18; 83%). No effect was seen on the rate of opioid refills (34/44; 78%), postoperative pain scores (22/23; 96%), and length of hospital stay (12/15; 80%). The adherence rates ranged from 32% to 100%, with considerable heterogeneity in the indicators used to measure the quality use of opioids. Logistical issues, patients' demand for analgesics, clinicians' uncertainty regarding the efficacy of nonopioid analgesics, and a lack of role allocation were reported as major barriers to implementation. Opioid stewardship can improve the quality use of opioids without adversely affecting clinical outcomes. The variety of opioid stewardship types, measurement metrics, study designs, and different surgeries pose challenges in determining causal relationships. Future prospective studies using standardized approaches are needed to develop more robust evidence.</p>","PeriodicalId":19921,"journal":{"name":"PAIN®","volume":" ","pages":"2249-2260"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143670466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
PAIN®Pub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-04-04DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003601
Philipp Göltl, Paul Merz, Alexander Schneider, Matthias P Ebert, Michael Hirth, Walter Magerl
{"title":"Somatosensory profiling to differentiate distinct painful diseases of the pancreas-a quantitative sensory testing case-control study.","authors":"Philipp Göltl, Paul Merz, Alexander Schneider, Matthias P Ebert, Michael Hirth, Walter Magerl","doi":"10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003601","DOIUrl":"10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003601","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Mechanisms of pancreatic pain are insufficiently understood, and quantitative sensory testing (QST) may help to identify the underlying mechanisms. Accordingly, this study assessed comprehensive somatosensory profiles encompassing nociceptive and nonnociceptive parameters in 70 patients with distinct pancreatic diseases, namely acute (n = 23), chronic (n = 20), or autoimmune pancreatitis (n = 10) and pancreatic cancer (n = 17) and compared it with 30 healthy control subjects by standardized QST (protocol of the German research network on neuropathic pain). Patients with pancreatic diseases presented significant somatosensory deficits in all thermal and tactile detection and pain thresholds in the pancreatic viscerotome (Th10), when compared with a remote control area (dermatome C5) or reference data of matched healthy controls ( P < 0.05- P < 0.0001). Unaltered vibration detection emphasizes the strictly regional character of losses. Loss of sensitivity paralleled the occurrence of paradoxical heat sensation (Th10 vs C5; P < 0.05), an indicator of thermal integration deficit. Punctate hyperalgesia or pain to light touch, the hallmark signs of spinal central sensitization were mostly absent and pain summation remained unchanged ( P > 0.05). Stratification of patients revealed that somatosensory deficits were significantly more pronounced in acute compared with chronic pancreatitis (eg, cold and warm detection thresholds: -2.19 ± 1.42 vs -1.10 ± 1.23 and -1.30 ± 1.68 vs -0.11 ± 1.80 z-values; P < 0.05 each). Notably, blunt pressure hyperalgesia, the only somatosensory parameter exhibiting significant gain compared with the patients' remote C5 segment, was a frequent finding only in acute, but not in chronic pancreatitis. The somatosensory phenotype of patients with distinct pancreatic disorders was characterized by a wide array of sensory losses being most severe in acute pancreatitis.</p>","PeriodicalId":19921,"journal":{"name":"PAIN®","volume":" ","pages":"2322-2331"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143812117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Nociplastic pain criteria must evolve to reduce the problem of \"not-classifiable\" pain.","authors":"Jacqueline Rachel Clark, Demetry Assimakopoulos, Angela Mailis","doi":"10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003667","DOIUrl":"10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003667","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19921,"journal":{"name":"PAIN®","volume":" ","pages":"2281-2284"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144485503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}