Presurgical anxiety and acute postsurgical pain predict worse chronic pain profiles after total knee/hip arthroplasty.

Introduction: Total joint arthroplasties generally achieve good outcomes, but chronic pain and disability are a significant burden after these interventions. Acknowledging relevant risk factors can inform preventive strategies. This study aimed to identify chronic pain profiles 6 months after arthroplasty using the ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases) classification and to find pre and postsurgical predictors of these profiles.

Differences in the relationship between pain and anxiety in total knee and hip arthroplasty: a longitudinal cross-lagged analysis mediated by depression and pain catastrophizing.

Acute postsurgical pain (APSP) is an important risk factor for pain chronification, with reports of being more intense after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) than after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Psychological variables have been associated with differences in postsurgical pain experience. This study aimed to analyse the longitudinal reciprocal association between pain and anxiety levels in patients undergoing TKA or THA, to investigate the moderator role of the type of surgery and to explore psychological mediators in the anxiety - pain association.

Sex moderates the association between quantitative sensory testing and acute and chronic pain after total knee/hip arthroplasty.

Objectives: Acute postsurgical pain (APSP) may persist over time and become chronic. Research on predictors for APSP and chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) has produced inconsistent results. This observational study aimed to analyze psychological and psychophysical variables associated with APSP and CPSP after total knee or hip arthroplasty, and to explore the role of sex.

Evaluating E-Health Literacy, Knowledge, Attitude, and Health Online Information in Portuguese University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The main objective of the present study was to assess e-health literacy in a sample of Portuguese university students and its association with the level of knowledge and seeking for COVID-19-related information.

Methods: This cross-sectional online study was conducted on Portuguese university students. All students completed a questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics, e-health Literacy Scale (eHEALS), and a questionnaire about knowledge, attitude, and health online information seeking.

Sucrose preference test: A systematic review of protocols for the assessment of anhedonia in rodents.

Anhedonia is described as a decreased ability to experience rewarding and enjoyable activities, a core symptom of major depressive disorder. The sucrose preference test (SPT) is a widely used and reliable behavioural test to assess anhedonia in rodents, based on a two-bottle choice paradigm. To date, different protocols are in use, inducing variability between researchers and hampering comparisons between studies.

Injection of kaolin/carrageenan in the rat knee joint induces progressive experimental knee osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common joint disorder worldwide, is characterized by progressive degeneration of articular and periarticular structures, leading to physical and emotional impairments that greatly affect the quality of life of patients. Unfortunately, no therapy has been able to halt the progression of the disease. Owing to the complexity of OA, most animal models are only able to mimic a specific stage or feature of the human disorder.

Comparative neurotoxicity of dietary methylmercury and waterborne inorganic mercury in fish: Evidence of optic tectum vulnerability through morphometric and histopathological assessments.

This work investigated the effects of inorganic mercury (iHg) and methylmercury (MeHg) on the fish optic tectum morphology, viz. in relation to: (i) vulnerability of specific optic tectum layers; (ii) preferential targeting of Hg forms to neurons or glial cells; (iii) comparative toxicity of iHg and MeHg in this brain area that is in the maintenance of several fish behaviors. Two experiments exposing juvenile white seabream (Diplodus sargus) to waterborne iHg [HgCl (2 μg L)] and dietary MeHg (8.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental and physical health and overall wellbeing of university students in Portugal.

Throughout the pandemic of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2, university students were considered a vulnerable risk group for mental health impairment and wellbeing deterioration. This study aimed at evaluating the pandemic's impact on the physical and mental health and wellbeing among students of a Portuguese university. This cross-sectional study included 913 participants and ran from June to October 2020.

Chronic pain causes Tau-mediated hippocampal pathology and memory deficits.

Persistent pain has been recently suggested as a risk factor for dementia. Indeed, chronic pain is frequently accompanied by maladaptive brain plasticity and cognitive deficits whose molecular underpinnings are poorly understood. Despite the emerging role of Tau as a key regulator of neuronal plasticity and pathology in diverse brain disorders, the role of Tau has never been studied in the context of chronic pain.

Sucrose intake and preference by Wistar Han rats are not influenced by sex or food/water deprivation.

Anhedonia is the decreased ability to experience pleasure from rewarding or enjoyable activities, a core symptom of depression. The sucrose preference test (SPT), based on a two-bottle choice paradigm, is a widely used behavioural paradigm for the evaluation of anhedonia in rodents. Up to now, different protocols have been reported regarding water/food deprivation and duration of exposure to the water/sucrose solutions.

A New Gal in Town: A Systematic Review of the Role of Galanin and Its Receptors in Experimental Pain.

Galanin is a neuropeptide expressed in a small percentage of sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia and the superficial lamina of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. In this work, we systematically reviewed the literature regarding the role of galanin and its receptors in nociception at the spinal and supraspinal levels, as well as in chronic pain conditions. The literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, OVID, TRIP, and EMBASE using "Galanin" AND "pain" as keywords.

A biocompatible and injectable hydrogel to boost the efficacy of stem cells in neurodegenerative diseases treatment.

Aims: Stem cell therapies emerged as treatment modalities with potential to cure neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). However, despite high expectations, their clinical use is still limited. Critical issues in treatment outcomes may be related to stem cells formulation and administration route.

Predictive value of quantitative sensory testing for acute and chronic postsurgical pain after total joint arthroplasty: a systematic review.

Quantitative sensory testing (QST) can be useful to identify high-risk patients for the development of chronic postsurgical pain. This systematic review aims to assess if presurgical sensory sensitivity measured using QST is associated with acute and chronic postsurgical pain after total joint arthroplasty. A systematic search was performed in September 2020 in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus, using terms related to total joint arthroplasty and QST.

Correlation between pain severity and levels of anxiety and depression in osteoarthritis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative musculoskeletal disease that causes articular damage and chronic pain, with a prevalence of up to 50% in individuals >60 years of age. Patients suffering from chronic painful conditions, including OA, also frequently report anxiety or depression. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to assess the correlation between pain severity and depressive and anxious symptomatology in OA patients.

Prevalence and Interference of Chronic Pain Among People With Hemophilia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Chronic pain is a common condition among people with hemophilia (PWH), associated with joint deterioration due to repeated joint bleeds. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the prevalence of chronic pain due to haemophilia and to analyze its interference in the lives of patients. A systematic search was performed in May and June 2019 and updated in February 2021, using PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and SciElo.

Modulating inflammation through the neutralization of Interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α by biofunctionalized nanoparticles.

Biological agents that neutralize the activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines are revolutionizing the treatment of inflammatory conditions. However, the antibodies (Abs) short half-life and off-target distribution critically limit their efficacy and safety. Therefore, this work proposes the immobilization of anti-TNF-α and anti-IL-6 Abs at the surface of polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) in order to extend and increase the Abs therapeutic efficacy, owing to the protection from degradation that the NPs provide, and to avoid off-target side effects through local administration.

Chronic pain susceptibility is associated with anhedonic behavior and alterations in the accumbal ubiquitin-proteasome system.

It remains unknown why on similar acute/subacute painful conditions, pain persists in some individuals while in others it resolves. Genetic factors, mood, and functional alterations, particularly involving the mesolimbic network, seem to be key. To explore potential susceptibility or resistance factors, we screened a large population of rats with a peripheral neuropathy and we isolated a small subset (<15%) that presented high thresholds (HTs) to mechanical allodynia (reduced pain manifestation).

Nociceptive, emotional, electrophysiological, and histological characterization of the chronic constriction injury model in female Wistar Han rats.

Chronic neuropathic pain affects 7-10 % of the population and is often accompanied by comorbid emotional disorders, which greatly reduce the quality of life of the patients, impairing physical, cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. Despite the higher prevalence and severity of chronic pain in women, the number of publications using female animals remains scarce. While in the chronic constriction injury (CCI) model the development of mechanical/thermal hyperalgesia, allodynia and spontaneous pain has been shown in both sexes, little is known on CCI-induced emotional impairments and sciatic nerve histopathology in female rats, as well as on the contributions of ovarian hormones to peripheral nerve injury.

Emotional and cognitive impairments in the peripheral nerve chronic constriction injury model (CCI) of neuropathic pain: A systematic review.

Background And Objective: Emotional and cognitive impairments are common comorbidities of chronic neuropathic pain that significantly impact the quality of life of patients. While the nociceptive components of the peripheral nerve chronic constriction injury (CCI) animal model have been extensively analyzed, data related to the development of mood and cognitive disorders, and especially its impact on female rats remains fragmented. We systematically reviewed the literature analyzing the methods used to induce and evaluate the development of emotional- and cognitive-like impairments and sex-specific differences in the CCI model.

[Application of the 2015 Beers Criteria Operationalized for Portugal in Institutionalized Elderly: A Cross-Sectional Study].

Introduction: The consumption of potentially inappropriate medicines is high among institutionalized elderly, predisposing to potential drug interactions, adverse drug events, risk of iatrogenic cascade, increased morbidity and mortality and health costs. Medication review is a promising strategy for therapeutic optimization, although scarcely documented in Portugal. The aim of this study was to characterize, using explicit criteria, the existence of potentially inappropriate medicines, among institutionalized elderly, and to calculate the eventual cost savings, with their discontinuation.

Chronic pain impact on rodents' behavioral repertoire.

Rodent models have been fundamental to understand chronic pain (CP) pathophysiology and to test for potential treatments. Pain assessment in CP models is most frequently based on the evaluation of allodynia or hyperalgesia. However, these correspond only to a part of CP-related problems which include ongoing pain, depression, anxiety, disrupted sleep and attentional deficits.

Mesocorticolimbic monoamines in a rodent model of chronic neuropathic pain.

Chronic pain manifests in multiple disorders and is highly debilitating. While its pathophysiology is not fully understood, the involvement of the mesocorticolimbic monoaminergic systems have been shown to play a critical role in chronic pain emergence and/or maintenance. In this study, we analyzed the levels of monoamines dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA) and serotonin (5-HT) in mesocorticolimbic areas - medial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, striatum, nucleus accumbens and amygdala - 1 month after a neuropathic lesion, Spared Nerve Injury (SNI).

Unmasking the relevance of hemispheric asymmetries-Break on through (to the other side).

The pioneer works of Marc Dax and Paul Broca on the association between left hemisphere injuries and speech impairments, revealed one of the most intriguing properties of the brain - asymmetry. Since then, lateralized features have been observed in virtually all phylogenetic branches, suggesting evolutionary conservation, although its adaptive role is still not clear. In humans, the field remains greatly shaped by early observations on language, but the advent of brain imaging revealed that functional and structural laterality is not only widespread, extending to memory, decision-making and emotion, but also that it is plastic.