D R Blake

TL;DR: In early CRPS (type 1), visual input from a moving, unaffected limb re-establishes the pain-free relationship between sensory feedback and motor execution, andTrophic changes and a less plastic neural pathway preclude this in chronic disease.

TL;DR: In the first ever controlled trial of a CBM in RA, a significant analgesic effect was observed and disease activity was significantly suppressed following Sativex treatment.

TL;DR: The hypothesis that motor-sensory conflict can induce pain and sensory disturbances in some normal individuals is supported and it is proposed that prolonged sensory-motor conflict may induce long-term symptoms in some vulnerable subjects.

TL;DR: This preliminary study suggests that RA is associated with increased arterial stiffness and central BP, independently of clinically manifest cardiovascular disease or risk factors, which may contribute to the increased cardiovascular mortality in RA.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES This study sought to explore and characterize referred sensations (RS) in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type 1 and test the hypothesis that pain in CRPS is associated with central sensory changes. METHODS Subjects underwent standardized neurological examination involving light touch, pinprick and vibration sense with eyes closed and then with eyes open. The subjects described the location and sensation emanating from the stimulated site and whether they experienced any sensations (similar or different) elsewhere. RESULTS Five of 16 subjects recruited demonstrated RS. These were experienced in real time, were modality specific (touch and pinprick) and were located on the body part immediately adjacent, on Penfield's cortical homunculus, to the stimulated site. The RS were diminished or absent when the subject visualized the stimulated area. They disappeared when stimulation ceased and on clinical improvement. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report of RS in CRPS and provides further evidence of central reorganization in what was previously thought to be a peripheral disorder.