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The effects of a dopamine agonist (apomorphine) on experimental and spontaneous pain in patients with chronic radicular pain: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study.

ABSTRACT: Although evidence suggests that dopaminergic systems are involved in pain processing, the effects of dopaminergic interventions on pain remains questionable. This randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over study was aimed at exploring the effect of the dopamine agonist apomorphine on experimental pain evoked by cold stimulation and on spontaneous pain in patients with lumbar radicular (neuropathic) pain.Data was collected from 35 patients with chronic lumbar radiculopathy (18 men, mean age 56.2±13 years). The following parameters were evaluated before (baseline) and 30, 75 and 120 minutes subsequent to a subcutaneous injection of 1.5 mg apomorphine or placebo: cold pain threshold and tolerance in the painful site (ice pack, affected leg) and in a remote non-painful site (12°C water bath, hand), and spontaneous (affected leg) pain intensity (NPS, 0-100).One-hundred and twenty minutes following apomorphine (but not placebo) injection, cold pain threshold and tolerance in the hand increased significantly compared to baseline (from a median of 8.0 seconds (IQR = 5.0) to 10 seconds (IQR = 9.0), p = 0.001 and from a median of 19.5 seconds (IQR = 30.2) to 27.0 seconds (IQR = 37.5), p<0.001, respectively). In addition, apomorphine prolonged cold pain tolerance but not threshold in the painful site (from a median of 43.0 seconds (IQR = 63.0) at baseline to 51.0 seconds (IQR = 78.0) at 120 min, p = 0.02). Apomorphine demonstrated no superiority over placebo in reducing spontaneous pain intensity.These findings are in line with previous results in healthy subjects, showing that apomorphine increases the ability to tolerate cold pain and therefore suggesting that dopaminergic interventions can have potential clinical relevance.

SUBMITTER: Haddad M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5886417 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The effects of a dopamine agonist (apomorphine) on experimental and spontaneous pain in patients with chronic radicular pain: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study.

Haddad May M Pud Dorit D Treister Roi R Suzan Erica E Eisenberg Elon E

PloS one 20180405 4

<h4>Background</h4>Although evidence suggests that dopaminergic systems are involved in pain processing, the effects of dopaminergic interventions on pain remains questionable. This randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over study was aimed at exploring the effect of the dopamine agonist apomorphine on experimental pain evoked by cold stimulation and on spontaneous pain in patients with lumbar radicular (neuropathic) pain.<h4>Methods</h4>Data was collected from 35 patients with c ...[more]

PMID: 29621293

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Project description:ObjectiveTo evaluate whether an epidural steroid injection or gabapentin is a better treatment for lumbosacral radiculopathy.DesignA multicenter randomized study conducted between 2011 and 2014. Computer generated randomization was stratified by site. Patients and evaluating physicians were blinded to treatment outcomes.SettingsEight military, Veterans Administration, and civilian hospitals.Participants145 people with lumbosacral radicular pain secondary to herniated disc or spinal stenosis for less than four years in duration and in whom leg pain is as severe or more severe than back pain.InterventionsParticipants received either epidural steroid injection plus placebo pills or sham injection plus gabapentin.Main outcome measuresAverage leg pain one and three months after the injection on a 0-10 numerical rating scale. A positive outcome was defined as a ≥ 2 point decrease in leg pain coupled with a positive global perceived effect. All patients had one month follow-up visits; patients whose condition improved remained blinded for their three month visit.ResultsThere were no significant differences for the primary outcome measure at one month (mean pain score 3.3 (SD 2.6) and mean change from baseline -2.2 (SD 2.4) in epidural steroid injection group versus 3.7 (SD 2.6) and -1.7 (SD 2.6) in gabapentin group; adjusted difference 0.4, 95% confidence interval -0.3 to 1.2; P=0.25) and three months (mean pain score 3.4 (SD 2.7) and mean change from baseline -2.0 (SD 2.6) versus 3.7 (SD 2.8) and -1.6 (SD 2.7), respectively; adjusted difference 0.3, -0.5 to 1.2; P=0.43). Among secondary outcomes, one month after treatment those who received epidural steroid injection had greater reductions in worst leg pain (-3.0, SD 2.8) than those treated with gabapentin (-2.0, SD 2.9; P=0.04) and were more likely to experience a positive successful outcome (66% v 46%; number needed to treat=5.0, 95% confidence interval 2.8 to 27.0; P=0.02). At three months, there were no significant differences between treatments.ConclusionsAlthough epidural steroid injection might provide greater benefit than gabapentin for some outcome measures, the differences are modest and are transient for most people.Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01495923.

Dataset Information

The effects of a dopamine agonist (apomorphine) on experimental and spontaneous pain in patients with chronic radicular pain: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study.

Publications

The effects of a dopamine agonist (apomorphine) on experimental and spontaneous pain in patients with chronic radicular pain: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study.

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