I. Decosterd, C. J. Woolf, Pain 87, 149–158 (2000).
Peripheral neuropathic pain arises from different factors triggering diverse mechanisms, requiring animal models that mimic these changes. Decosterd et al. investigated a "spared nerve injury model", that involves damaging two branches of the sciatic nerve while leaving one intact. This model consistently produces long-lasting changes in behavior, making it useful for studying neuropathic pain.
J. Jia, M. Pollock, Muscle Nerve 22, 1644–1652 (1999).
This article details the impressive contrast between repetitive cooling and heating versus constant cooling of the peripheral nerve. The authors compare A-fibers, C-fibers, nerve blood flow, and morphology, and demonstrated that cold nerve injury is enhanced by intermittent cooling in comparison to continuous cooling.
opioid-related deaths
Opioids were involved in 80,411 overdose deaths in 2021, equating to 75.4% of all drug overdose deaths.
Read more at CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/deaths/index.html#:~:text=Opioids%E2%80%94mainly%20synthetic%20opioids%20(other,of%20all%20drug%20overdose%20deaths
S.-W. Hwang et al., Science 337, 1640–1644 (2012).
In this article, Hwang et al., describes a complete set of tools and materials needed to create medical implants using silicon based transient electronics.
qualitative advance in pain-management techniques
Qualitative research exposes and explores important aspects of the pain experience that are not accessible via other methods.
Read more at 'Reviews in Pain': https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590060/#:~:text=Qualitative%20research%20exposes%20and%20explores,ontological%20perspective%20to%20quantitative%20work.
S.-K. Kang et al., Nature 530, 71–76 (2016).
Kang et al., reports on a biocompatible, bioresorbable, and implantable silicon electronic sensor for the brain that naturally resorbs via hydrolysis and/or metabolic action.
K. Yu, X. Niu, B. He, Adv. Funct. Mater. 30, 1908999 (2020).
This article provides a brief overview of the neuropathic pain and pharmacological routines for treatment, summarizes both the invasive and noninvasive neuromodulation modalities for pain management, and highlights an emerging brain stimulation technology, transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS).
S. B. Rutkove, Muscle Nerve 24, 867–882 (2001)
This article analyzes the effects of extreme temperature on permanent neuronal dysfunction. The primary goal of their research is to review these temperature changes in electrophysiologic parameters.
D. M. Ackermann, E. L. Foldes, N. Bhadra, K. L. Kilgore, J. Neurosci. Methods 193,72–76 (2010).
This article explores the combination of nerve cooling and inhibition or interruption of electrical signals along nerve fibers (electrical block) using high frequency alternating currents.
Cooling from 33° to 4°C over a period of 15 min prompts a decrease in signal amplitude of 77% and increase in latency of 97% (Fig. 5B).
The temperature drop caused a reduction in nerve bundle electrical activity and a notable delay in neural signal propagation.
J. Koo et al., Nat. Med. 24, 1830–1836 (2018)
Koo et al. introduces a bioresorbable and biocompatible platform for wireless, programmable, electrical peripheral nerve stimulation.
J. M. Hah, B. T. Bateman, J. Ratliff, C. Curtin, E. Sun, Anesth.Analg. 125, 1733–1740 (2017).
Hah et al. describes the popularity, risks, and adverse effects of opioids prescribed after surgery. They also analyze different methods for post-surgery pain relief.
R. Janssen, Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 16, 399–413 (1992).
Janssen investigates the rate of temperature change, sites of cooling, stimulation and recording, stimulus characteristics, and fundamental differences in temperature sensitivities of different neural tissue.
increasing rates of addiction
In 2016, more than 11.5 million Americans reported misusing opioids in the past year.
Read more at CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/prescribed.html