The purpose of this study was to assess the biochemical mechanisms underlying spinal cord stimulation (SCS). Seventeen patients with chronic pain were investigated by measuring cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of endogenous opioids and biogenic amines before and during dorsal column stimulation. BasaI cerebrospinal fluid β-endorphin levels were below the normal range. No significant change of norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, β-endorphin, β-lipotropin, or adrenocorticotropic hormone levels were found after SCS. A 50% increase of cerebrospinal β-endorphin and β-lipotropin levels occurred in 6 out of 16 patients, namely those where SCS gave the major pain relief. These data confirm the derangement of the endogenous opioid system in chronic pain conditions and suggest that the β-endorphin response to SCS could have clinical value in predicting the success of treatment.
A case of spinal epidural haematoma diagnosed by means of Gadolinium-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging is described. The sensitivity of this recent technique is underlined.
The proposed prognostic scoring system including clinical variables and MGMT promoter methylation status proved valuable in patients with primary conventional glioblastoma, especially those treated with postoperative chemoradiotherapy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.