Browsing by Subject "neuropathic pain"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Biomarkers For Neuroinflammation And Satellite Glia Activation In Dry Eye Disease
    (2018-10) Stephenson, Pannaporn
    Chronic dry eye (DE) is a burden to society with few effective treatments. Investigations of mechanisms for DE pain are limited by the lack of validated biomarkers and reliable measures of nocifensive behavior in an animal model. To address these issues, we assessed eye wiping behavior and quantified qPCR and protein expression of Activating Transcription Factor 3 (ATF3) and Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), as markers for neuronal injury and satellite glia activation, respectively, in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) of rat model of tear deficient DE. Eye wipe behavior increased in males and females by 14 days after exorbital gland removal. Protein levels for ATF3 increased by 14d in females, but not in males, while GFAP increased in both sexes. By contrast, mRNA levels for ATF3 and GFAP did not change significantly in either sex. GFAP increases in protein were confirmed by immunohistochemistry as seen by an increase in the number of positively stained cells. The increase in GFAP was associated with an increase eye wipe behavior at 14d. These data suggested that neuron-glial mechanisms that mediate DE pain were different in males and females. We conclude that GFAP, but not ATF3, is a valid biomarker for peripheral sensitization in this rat model of DE.
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    MicroRNA and Neuroimaging Biomarkers of Neuropathic Pain Severity After Spinal Cord Injury: Results from a Robotic-Assisted Gait Training Study
    (2022-07) Kowalski, Jesse
    Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in chronic neuroinflammation which contributes to altered neural function and the development of neuropathic pain. Differential expression of microRNA regulators of neuroinflammatory pathways and alterations in brain structure and functional connectivity may contribute to the development or severity of neuropathic pain. Exercise has been shown to reduce neuroinflammation and chronic pain and alter brain structure in human and animal models, yet little is known about how exercise interventions influence pain processing in human populations with SCI. This doctoral dissertation aimed to identify 1) novel microRNA biomarkers of neuropathic pain, 2) neuropathic pain-related alterations in brain functional connectivity, and 3) the efficacy of an exercise intervention of robotic-assisted gait training to reduce neuropathic pain and alter brain volume in individuals with SCI. Successful identification of underlying mechanisms of neuropathic pain and potential exercise induced mitigation of these factors will guide the development of targeted interventions and provide useful biomarkers to predict and optimize prognosis, and subsequent care management for individuals with SCI.
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    Rasch Validation of the Revised Body Awareness Rating Questionnaire (BARQ-R) in Adults with Musculoskeletal Pain, Adults with SCI Related Neuropathic Pain, and Community Dwelling Adults in the US
    (2024-04-19) Carpentier, Sydney; Deng, Wei; Blackwood, Jena; Van de Winckel, Ann; avandewi@umn.edu; Van de Winckel, Ann; Brain Body Mind Lab
    The study aim was to establish Rasch validation of the Revised Body Awareness Rating Questionnaire (BARQ-R) in adults with musculoskeletal pain, community-dwelling adults without pain, and adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) who have neuropathic pain. The BARQ-R has 12 items with scores ranging from 0 (completely disagree) to 3 (completely agree). Through Rasch analysis, we evaluated unidimensionality through item and person fit, targeting of the population, person separation reliability (PSR), local item dependence (LID), and principal components analysis of residuals (PCAR).