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Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 2019 Apr 17;97(1):1-11. Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Background/aims: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) can be refractory to both medical and minimally invasive treatments. Its complex pathophysiology explains the numerous neurosurgical procedures that have been implemented through the years. Our objective was to summarize all available neurosurgical strategies for the management of resistant PHN and evaluate their respective safety and efficacy outcomes. Read More

Vaccine 2019 Apr 11. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

ICON plc, De Molen 84, Houten 3995 AX, the Netherlands.

Background: We estimated the relative efficacy and safety of vaccines for prevention of herpes zoster (HZ) using network meta-analysis (NMA) based on evidence from randomized controlled trials.

Methods: A systematic literature review evaluated two different HZ vaccines: adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) and zoster vaccine live (ZVL), with different formulations assessed. Detailed feasibility assessment indicated that a NMA was feasible for efficacy (incidence of HZ and postherpetic neuralgia [PHN]) and safety (serious adverse events [SAE] and reactogenicity [injection-site reactions, systemic reaction]) outcomes. Read More

J Clin Pharm Ther 2019 Apr 9. Epub 2019 Apr 9.

BJC Medical Group Cardiology, St. Louis, Missouri.

What Is Known And Objective: Gabapentin, a γ-aminobutyric acid derivative, is used for the treatment of partial onset seizures, postherpetic neuralgia, diabetic neuropathy and a host of other neurological disorders.

Case Description: A 44-year-old woman with spinal stenosis was prescribed gabapentin for pain. Two months after initiating therapy, she was diagnosed with a new-onset non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy with an ejection fraction of 36% measured on a transthoracic echocardiogram. Read More

J Pain Res 2019 22;12:1061-1068. Epub 2019 Mar 22.

Global Statistics, Pfizer Inc, New York, NY, USA.

Purpose: Although analyses of pooled clinical trial data have reported how international populations respond to pregabalin by baseline neuropathic pain (NeP) severity, no studies have evaluated this specifically in patients from Japan. Thus, this post hoc pooled analysis evaluated the efficacy of pregabalin in Japanese subjects for treating moderate or severe baseline NeP.

Patients And Methods: Data were pooled from three placebo-controlled trials enrolling Japanese subjects with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), and spinal cord injury (SCI). Read More

Pharmazie 2019 Mar;74(3):147-149

Mirogabalin, which is a novel ligand for the α₂δ subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels, is being developed for treating neuropathic pain including diabetic peripheral neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia. Mirogabalin possesses unique α₂δ subunit binding characteristics and has potent and long-lasting analgesic effects in neuropathic pain models. In the present study, we investigated the effects of mirogabalin on N-type calcium channel currents of the rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) culture neurons using the whole-cell patch clamp technique. Read More

Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2019 Apr 2;4:CD010528. Epub 2019 Apr 2.

School of Health Sciences, Ulster University, Jordanstown campus, Shore Road, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, UK, BT37 0QB.

Background: Neuropathic pain is a consequence of damage to the central nervous system (CNS), for example, cerebrovascular accident, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury, or peripheral nervous system (PNS), for example, painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN), postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), or surgery. Evidence suggests that people suffering from neuropathic pain are likely to seek alternative modes of pain relief such as herbal medicinal products due to adverse events brought about by current pharmacological agents used to treat neuropathic pain. This review includes studies in which participants were treated with herbal medicinal products (topically or ingested) who had experienced neuropathic pain for at least three months. Read More

Braz J Infect Dis 2019 Mar 29. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

Section of Infectious Diseases, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Ramiro Barcelos 2350, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Electronic address:

Background: There is little information on herpes zoster from hospital registries in South America. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological and clinical aspects of herpes zoster (HZ) in hospitalized patients.'

Methods: We searched for hospital-based records during the period from March 2000 to January 2017 in a 700-bed tertiary-care hospital located in southern Brazil. Read More

Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 2019 Mar 30. Epub 2019 Mar 30.

Department of Dermatology, Aichi Medical University, Aichi, Japan.

Introduction: The incidence of herpes zoster (HZ) rises steeply after the age of 50 years and the number of HZ cases and complications such as postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is predicted to increase because of the ageing population. The objective of this study was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) compared with no vaccine for the Japanese population aged ≥ 65 years.

Methods: A multi-cohort static Markov model with a cycle length of 1 year was used to follow a hypothetical cohort of 1 million people aged ≥ 65 years over their remaining lifetime. Read More

Pain 2019 Jan 24. Epub 2019 Jan 24.

Biostatistics and Data Management Department, Daiichi Sankyo Co, Ltd, Tokyo, Japan.

This study investigated the safety and efficacy of mirogabalin, a novel, potent, selective ligand of the α2δ subunit of voltage-dependent Ca channels, for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). In this multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study, Asian patients ≥20 years with PHN were randomized 2:1:1:1 to placebo or mirogabalin 15, 20, or 30 mg/day for up to 14 weeks (NCT02318719). The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline in average daily pain score at week 14, defined as a weekly average of daily pain (0 = "no pain" to 10 = "worst possible pain," for the last 24 hours). Read More

JAMA Intern Med 2019 Mar 25. Epub 2019 Mar 25.

Department of Medicine, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia.

Background: The gabapentinoid drugs gabapentin and pregabalin were originally developed as antiseizure drugs but now are prescribed mainly for treatment of pain. For gabapentin, the only pain-related indication approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is postherpetic neuralgia. For pregabalin, FDA-approved indications related to pain are limited to postherpetic neuralgia, neuropathic pain associated with diabetic neuropathy or spinal cord injury, and fibromyalgia. Read More

Front Neurosci 2019 8;13:170. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Department of Anesthesiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication of herpes zoster, manifesting as a persistent, spontaneous, knife-like pain or paroxysmal burning that seriously affects a patient's quality of life. An effective treatment of PHN is lacking. This retrospective study examined the efficacy and safety of stellate ganglion (SG) pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) on facial and upper limb PHN. Read More

J Clin Med 2019 Mar 7;8(3). Epub 2019 Mar 7.

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 34943, Korea.

Despite the high frequency of nerve blocks in the acute phase of herpes zoster, factors associated with intervention, such as response to epidural block, have not been analyzed as predictive factors of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). To determine the predictive factors of progression to PHN in the presence of interventions, we analyzed the medical records of 145 patients who underwent transforaminal epidural injection (TFEI) in the acute phase of herpes zoster. A total volume of 5 mL (a mixture of 0. Read More

Vaccine 2019 Apr 28;37(15):2131-2141. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Department of Integrated Bioscience and Biotechnology, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a neurotropic and lymphotropic alpha herpesvirus that causes varicella and herpes zoster (HZ). At a primary infection, VZV causes varicella in young children. Reactivation of latent VZV in sensory ganglia causes painful HZ in elderly people, occasionally leading to a serious complication, postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Read More

J Pain Res 2019 7;12:605-616. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Department of Radiology,

Purpose: The aim of this study was to measure brain alterations in patients with herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and compare their differences using a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) technique.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-three patients with HZ, 22 patients with PHN, and 28 well-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. Magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired for all subjects and analyzed using the VBM method. Read More

Open Forum Infect Dis 2019 Feb 12;6(2):ofz007. Epub 2019 Jan 12.

Value Evidence, GSK, Wavre, Belgium.

Background: To estimate the health care resource utilization, costs, and impact on quality of life (QoL) of herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in adults aged ≥50 years in Italy.

Methods: This was a prospective, observational, multicenter, community physician-based surveillance study (NCT01772160) in Italy. Health-related QoL data were collected using the EuroQoL-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) and Zoster Brief Pain Inventory (ZBPI) questionnaires. Read More

Ann Intern Med 2019 Feb 19. Epub 2019 Feb 19.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia (R.H., A.G., I.R.O., F.Z., K.D.).

Background: The U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently developed recommendations for use of a new recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV). Read More

Pain Res Manag 2019 14;2019:9161906. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Department of Anesthesiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

Pain disease is a worldwide problem.The prevalence of chronic pain in developed and developing countries has been reported in some published research. However, little knowledge of situation of pain clinic in Tibet is known. Read More

Mayo Clin Proc 2019 Mar 2;94(3):484-489. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Department of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ. Electronic address:

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most common complication of varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactivation and a cause of considerable physical and psychosocial morbidity. No known treatment effectively prevents the development of PHN in patients with VZV reactivation. In this study, our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of premedication with gabapentin for reducing the risk of PHN in patients with diabetic and nondiabetic neuropathy. Read More

Pain Rep 2018 Nov 7;3(6):e702. Epub 2018 Nov 7.

Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, and Center for Research on Pain, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.

Introduction: Pain in herpes zoster (HZ) and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is traditionally explained in terms of 2 processes: irritable nociceptors in the rash-inflamed skin and, later, deafferentation due to destruction of sensory neurons in one virally infected dorsal root ganglion.

Objectives And Methods: Consideration of the evidence supporting this explanation in light of contemporary understanding of the pain system finds it wanting. An alternative hypothesis is proposed as a replacement. Read More

Pain Rep 2018 Nov 26;3(6):e668. Epub 2018 Oct 26.

Division of Neurological Pain Research and Therapy, Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany.

Introduction: In postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) different types of patients can be distinguished regarding their predominant peripheral nociceptor function.

Objective: The aim was to examine somatosensory profiles in the course of disease with special regard to the different subtypes existing in PHN.

Methods: Twenty patients with PHN (7 men and 13 women, age 67 ± 9. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2019 Jan 30;19(1):99. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry, and Informatics (IMEBI), Medical Faculty of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 8, 06110, Halle (Saale), Germany.

Background: Until now, herpes zoster (HZ)-related disease burden in Germany has been estimated based on health insurance data and clinical findings. However, the validity of self-reported HZ is unclear. This study investigated the validity of self-reported herpes zoster (HZ) and its complication postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) using data from the pretest studies of the German National Cohort (GNC) in comparison with estimates based on health insurance data. Read More

Viruses 2019 Jan 26;11(2). Epub 2019 Jan 26.

Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany.

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is a highly prevalent human pathogen that causes varicella (chicken pox) during primary infection and establishes latency in peripheral neurons. Symptomatic reactivation often presents as zoster (shingles), but it has also been linked to life-threatening diseases such as encephalitis, vasculopathy and meningitis. Zoster may be followed by postherpetic neuralgia, neuropathic pain lasting after resolution of the rash. Read More

Vaccine 2019 Feb 23;37(9):1235-1244. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States. Electronic address:

Background/objectives: Herpes zoster (HZ) incidence increases with age, and the burden of HZ is expected to grow with aging of populations worldwide. We aim to determine the incremental healthcare resource utilization and associated costs of patients with common HZ-related complications other than postherpetic neuralgia (cutaneous, neurologic and ophthalmic) compared to uncomplicated HZ.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of commercial health insurance claims covering about 40 million immunocompetent individuals aged ≥50 years at study entry from all over the US, from 2008 to 2013, with follow-up for one year after HZ onset. Read More

Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2019 01 23;1:CD007076. Epub 2019 Jan 23.

Pain Research and Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (Nuffield Division of Anaesthetics), University of Oxford, Pain Research Unit, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK, OX3 7LE.

Background: This review updates part of an earlier Cochrane Review titled "Pregabalin for acute and chronic pain in adults", and considers only neuropathic pain (pain from damage to nervous tissue). Antiepileptic drugs have long been used in pain management. Pregabalin is an antiepileptic drug used in management of chronic pain conditions. Read More

BMJ Open 2019 Jan 21;9(1):e023600. Epub 2019 Jan 21.

Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Objective: To assess the benefits and harms of pregabalin in the management of neuropathic pain.

Design: Rapid review and meta-analysis of phase III, randomised, placebo-controlled trials.

Participants: Adults aged 18 years and above with neuropathic pain defined according to the International Association for the Study of Pain criteria. Read More

Acta Dermatovenerol Croat 2018 Dec;26(4):337-338

Associate Professor Suzana Ljubojević Hadžavdić, MD, PhD, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Center Zagreb, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Šalata 4, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;

Herpes zoster (HZ) is an acute, cutaneous viral infection caused by the reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) (1). It is a frequent medical condition with an incidence rate of 2-3 cases per 1000 person/years in the general population and 7-10 cases per 1000 person/years after the age of 50 (1,2). Risk factors and triggers for reactivation of HZV have not yet been determined precisely, but are likely to include malignancies, immune deficiencies, solid organ and bone marrow transplant recipients, autoimmune diseases, psychological conditions, emotional stress, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and other patients receiving immunosuppressive therapies (1,3). Read More

J Pain Res 2019 7;12:243-253. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Pain and Palliative Care Department, Federal University of Maranhão, Maranhão, Brazil.

Objectives: Estimate the prevalence of neuropathic pain (NeP) among chronic pain patients attending Brazilian hospitals and pain clinics in São Paulo, Ceara, and Bahia and explore clinical characteristics by subtypes: painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN), central neuropathic pain (CNP), chronic low back pain with a neuropathic component (CLBP-NeP), postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), post-traumatic neuropathic pain (PTN), and post-surgical neuropathic pain (PSN).

Methods: Physicians screened patients reporting chronic pain for ≥3 months (n=2,118) for probable NeP, using the Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire and physician assessment, and reported their NeP subtype(s), symptoms, and medications. Identified NeP patients completed a questionnaire including treatment experiences, quality of life EuroQol 5 Dimensions [EQ-5D]), pain severity and interference (Brief Pain Inventory [BPI]), and Work Productivity and Activity Impairment scales. Read More

Pain Pract 2019 Jan 19. Epub 2019 Jan 19.

Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan.

Objectives: There have been no community-based studies investigating the association between sleep duration and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) development. The aim of the current study was to examine the association of sleep with herpes zoster (HZ) incidence and PHN.

Methods: In total, 12,329 residents (ages 50 to 103 years) of Shozu County, Japan, participated in our study from December 2009 to November 2010 and were followed up for 3 years. Read More

Pain Res Manag 2018 2;2018:9305126. Epub 2018 Dec 2.

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, 1-3 Hongo 3-chome, Bunkyo-ku 113-8431, Japan.

Postherpetic itch (PHI), or herpes zoster itch, is an intractable and poorly understood disease. We targeted 94 herpes zoster patients to investigate their pain and itch intensities at three separate stages of the condition (acute, subacute, and chronic). We used painDETECT questionnaire (PDQ) scores to investigate the correlation between PHI and neuropathic pain. Read More

BMJ 2019 Jan 10;364:k5095. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Center for Value-based Care Research, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.

J Child Neurol 2019 Jan 10:883073818821498. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

4 Division of Child Neurology, Children's Hospital, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.

Varicella vaccination is now virtually universal in North America, as well as in some European and Asian countries. Since varicella vaccine is a live attenuated virus, the virus replicates in the skin after administration and can travel via sensory nerves or viremia to become latent in the dorsal root ganglia. In some immunized children, virus reactivates within a few months to a few years to cause the dermatomal exanthem known as herpes zoster (shingles). Read More

Neuromodulation 2019 Jan 8. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Department of Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.

Introduction: Dorsal root ganglion stimulation is a meanwhile established but rather new technique of neuromodulation to treat chronic pain states of different origin. While being primarily used in the lumbar region, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation also can be used in the upper thoracic and cervical region with slight alterations of the surgical approach. This offers new therapeutic options especially in the treatment of neuropathic pain states of the upper extremities. Read More

J Pain Res 2019 18;12:39-47. Epub 2018 Dec 18.

Department of Pain, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China,

Purpose: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) detrimentally affects brain function. Recent studies have suggested that frequency-dependent changes in electroencephalography in chronic pain patients and blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) fluctuations can reflect neuronal activity in different frequencies. The current study aimed to investigate PHN-related brain oscillatory activity in a specific frequency band by using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method. Read More

Pain 2019 Jan;160(1):53-59

Department of Neurophysiology, CBTM, Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.

The upcoming 11th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) of the World Health Organization (WHO) offers a unique opportunity to improve the representation of painful disorders. For this purpose, the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) has convened an interdisciplinary task force of pain specialists. Here, we present the case for a reclassification of nervous system lesions or diseases associated with persistent or recurrent pain for ≥3 months. Read More

Pain 2019 Apr;160(4):882-894

Department of Anaesthesiology, Multidisciplinary Pain Centre, University Hospital LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.

This prospective cohort study aimed to characterize the sensory profile during acute herpes zoster (AHZ) and to explore sensory signs as well as physical and psychosocial health as predictors for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Results of quantitative sensory testing of 74 patients with AHZ at the affected site and at the distant contralateral control site were compared to a healthy control group. Pain characteristics (Neuropathic Pain and Symptom Inventory and SES), physical functioning, and psychosocial health aspects (Pain Disability Index, SF-36, and STAI) were assessed by questionnaires. Read More

J Neurosurg 2018 Dec;129(Suppl1):72-76

OBJECTIVEAblative procedures are still useful in the treatment of intractable pain despite the proliferation of neuromodulation techniques. In the paper the authors present the results of Gamma Knife thalamotomy (GKT) in various pain syndromes.METHODSBetween 1996 and 2016, unilateral GKT was performed in 30 patients suffering from various severe pain syndromes in whom conservative treatment had failed. Read More

J Pain 2019 Apr 5;20(4):369-393. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Department of Anesthesiology and Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO.

Peripheral neuropathic pain is among the most prevalent types of neuropathic pain. No comprehensive peripheral neuropathic pain classification system that incorporates contemporary clinical, diagnostic, biological, and psychological information exists. To address this need, this article covers the taxonomy for 4 focal or segmental peripheral neuropathic pain disorders, as part of the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks (ACTTION) public-private partnership and the American Pain Society (APS) collaborative to develop a standardized, evidence-based taxonomy initiative: the ACTTION-APS Pain Taxonomy (AAPT). Read More

Neurol India 2018 Nov-Dec;66(6):1711-1712

Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic Health System, Mankato, Minnesota 56001, USA.

Neurol India 2018 Nov-Dec;66(6):1706-1710

Department of Pain Management, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.

Background: This study investigated the clinical effects of selective dorsal root ganglion pulsed radiofrequency lesioning in combination with oral administration of gabapentin in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

Material And Methods: One hundred and sixteen consecutive cases of initially diagnosed patients with PHN were randomly divided into the control and the observation groups, with each group consisting of 58 patients. The control group was treated with oral gabapentin (2400 mg/d, tid), while the observation group received gabapentin and pulsed radiofrequency lesioing of the dorsal root ganglion. Read More

Complement Ther Med 2018 Dec 21;41:277-282. Epub 2018 Oct 21.

Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Dermatology, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Background: Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) is the most distressful complication of herpes zoster. PHN results in an impaired quality of life and higher healthcare utilization. Vitamin B12 has been proven to be effective in pain relief for various conditions. Read More

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2019 Feb 20;38(2):365-372. Epub 2018 Nov 20.

Department of Family Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, No. 707, Sec. 3, Chung Yang Rd, Hualien, 97002, Taiwan.

This study aimed to investigate the association between herpes zoster (HZ) and the risks of osteoporosis and fracture. We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. The study enrolled 63,786 patients: 31,893 diagnosed with HZ between 2000 and 2012 were included in the HZ cohort, and 31,893 matched controls without HZ were included in the non-HZ cohort, with 1:1 exact matching for age, sex, and index year. Read More

Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 2019 Mar 19;9(1):117-133. Epub 2018 Nov 19.

Healthoutcomes Department, GSK, Tokyo, Japan.

Introduction: The aim of this study is to describe the disease burden and costs of herpes zoster (HZ) in the general adult Japanese population or patients with immunocompromised (IC) conditions or chronic disorders.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of individuals aged 18-74 years was conducted using January 2005 to December 2014 records from the Japan Medical Data Center claims database. Twenty-eight IC conditions and chronic disorders were defined by diagnosis codes and/or procedures/treatments. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Nov;97(46):e13178

Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Rationale: Hyponatremia following duloxetine treatment has been reported in patients with major depressive disorder, fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy, or sciatic pain. The manifestations of duloxetine-induced hyponatremia are varying in different individuals. The overall prognosis for this type of hyponatremia is favorable if properly managed. Read More

Acad Emerg Med 2018 Nov 12. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA.

Acad Emerg Med 2018 Nov 12. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA.

Viruses 2018 11 2;10(11). Epub 2018 Nov 2.

Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA.

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a pathogenic human herpes virus that causes varicella (chickenpox) as a primary infection, following which it becomes latent in peripheral ganglia. Decades later, the virus may reactivate either spontaneously or after a number of triggering factors to cause herpes zoster (shingles). Varicella and its complications are more severe in the immunosuppressed. Read More

Pharmazie 2018 11;73(11):659-661

Mirogabalin, which is a novel ligand for the α₂δ subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels, is under development for the treatment of pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia. Mirogabalin possesses unique binding characteristics to α₂δ subunits and potent and long-lasting analgesic effects in peripheral neuropathic pain models. In the present study, we investigated the analgesic effects of mirogabalin in a rat model of spinal cord injury as an experimental animal model for central neuropathic pain. Read More

Drugs Aging 2018 12;35(12):1031-1040

Springer, Private Bag 65901, Mairangi Bay, Auckland, 0754, New Zealand.

Shingrix is a recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) that contains a varicella zoster virus glycoprotein E antigen and the AS01 adjuvant system. The subunit vaccine is approved for the prevention of herpes zoster (HZ) [EU, USA, Japan, Canada and Australia] and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) [EU and Australia] in adults aged ≥ 50 years. In the pivotal trials in adults aged ≥ 50 years (ZOE-50) and ≥ 70 years (ZOE-70), RZV significantly reduced the risk of HZ and PHN. Read More