Neurology

Your Article Summary

See Latest Articles

Effects of Age and Mild Cognitive Impairment on the Pain Response System
Gerontology, 08/20/09

Kunz M et al. – The pain response system appeared to be quite unaltered in MCI patients compared to cognitively unimpaired individuals of the same age. Only the sympathetic responsiveness qualified as an indicator of early aging effects as well as of pathophysiology associated with MCI, which both seemed to affect the pain system independently from each other.

• 40 young subjects, 45 cognitively unimpaired elderly subjects and 42 subjects with MCI were investigated by use of an experimental multi–method approach.
• The subjects were tested for their subjective (pain ratings), motor (RIII reflex), facial (Facial Action Coding System) and their autonomic (sympathetic skin response and evoked heart rate response) responses to noxious electrical stimulation of the nervus suralis.

• The sympathetic skin response amplitude was significantly reduced in the cognitively unimpaired elderly subjects compared to younger subjects and to an even greater degree in subjects with MCI.
• The evoked heart rate response was reduced to a similar degree in both groups of aged subjects.
• Regression analyses within the two groups of the elderly subjects revealed that age and, in the MCI group, cognitive status were significant predictors of the decrease in autonomic responsiveness to noxious stimulation.
• Except for the autonomic parameters, no other pain parameter differed between the three groups.

Related Articles

See all related articles

Increased Auditory Startle Reflex in Children with Functional Abdominal Pain
The Journal of Pediatrics, 10/27/09    Relevance Score: 81%

Pain Catastrophizing and Salivary Cortisol Responses to Laboratory Pain Testing in Temporomandibular Disorder and Healthy Participants
The Journal of Pain, 10/26/09    Relevance Score: 81%

Stress Induced Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Responses and Disturbances in Psychological Profiles in Men With Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome
The Journal of Urology, 10/14/09    Relevance Score: 81%

Fibromyalgia and Myofascial Pain Syndrome - A Dilemma
Indian Journal of Anaesthesia, 10/22/09    Relevance Score: 80%

Neuroimaging as a Tool for Pain Diagnosis and Analgesic Development
Neurotherapeutics, 10/05/09    Relevance Score: 80%

Today in Dementia...keeping you current

Receive free subspecialty "5-minute updates" via email

Two year outcome of MCI subtypes and aetiologies in the Goteborg MCI study
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry , 12/18/09

Does use of antihypertensive drugs affect the incidence or progression of dementia? A systematic review
The American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy, 12/18/09

Having a father with young onset dementia
Dementia, 12/18/09

 See all of Dementia

Today in Pain Medicine...keeping you current

Receive free subspecialty "5-minute updates" via email

Back Pain: How to Avoid Surgery?
British Journal of Medical Practitioners, 12/18/09

Neuropathic pain is associated with increased nodal persistent Na+ currents in human diabetic neuropathy
Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 12/18/09

Recurrences, vaccinations and long-term symptoms in GBS and CIDP
Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 12/18/09

 See all of Pain Medicine