Pain News and Research

Latest Pain News and Research

Frontotemporal dementia disrupts empathy for pain, study reveals

Study reveals diminished brain activity related to empathy for pain in individuals with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), using task-based fMRI. Findings show a stark reduction in neural responses tied to affective empathy, highlighting early bvFTD impacts on social cognition.

5 Dec 2024

Long-COVID lingers in children

A 24-month study reveals that 7.2% of children consistently experience long-COVID symptoms, with tiredness, sleep issues, and headaches most commonly reported, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.

5 Dec 2024

Does air pollution worsen Long COVID? Researchers weigh in

Exposure to air pollutants, particularly particulate matter, may increase Long COVID risk by worsening initial infection severity, but noise, light, and green spaces show no significant impact, a Catalonian study reveals.

5 Dec 2024

Chikungunya's health and economic impact likely underestimated

This study assesses chikungunya's health and economic impacts, revealing significant burdens on health systems and a global cost of approximately $49.9 billion.

5 Dec 2024

An Arm and a Leg: New lessons in the fight for charity care

Federal law requires that all nonprofit hospitals have financial assistance policies — also known as "charity care" — to reduce or expunge people's medical bills.

5 Dec 2024

Women with infertility have higher risk of developing systemic autoimmune diseases

Women who experience infertility but do not use fertility treatments have a higher risk of developing a group of conditions called systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD) in the nine years after a naturally conceived birth compared to women without fertility problems.

4 Dec 2024

New approach to understanding chronic inflammation could lead to better cancer therapies

A recently published study led by Wayne State University on a new approach to understanding chronic inflammation could lead to new advancements in the treatment of many debilitating medical conditions, including cancer.

4 Dec 2024

Long Covid in teenagers shows significant improvement within two years

Most young people who were confirmed to have long Covid three months after a positive PCR test had recovered within 24 months, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

4 Dec 2024

Mexican American women show highest rates of medication nonadherence after stroke

Women who have had a stroke may be less likely than men to take medications to prevent a second stroke, with Mexican American women reporting the highest rates of nonadherence, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.

4 Dec 2024

Study highlights gaps in current health programs for truck drivers

It might seem out of place on the side of a highway, but purpose-built exercise equipment installed at truck stops across Australia could be just the thing to encourage truck drivers to take a break and take control of their health and wellbeing.

4 Dec 2024

Advanced modeling unveils hidden costs of global chikungunya infection

The health and financial implications of the emerging threat of mosquito-borne chikungunya viral infection have most likely been significantly underestimated, with total costs probably approaching US$ 50 billion in 2011-20 alone, suggests a comprehensive data analysis, published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

4 Dec 2024

AI in medicine: Revolutionary tools, uncertain results

AI decision-making systems show promise but lack consistent evidence for improving patient-relevant outcomes like mortality and quality of life. Rigorous harm-benefit assessments and transparency are needed for safe integration into healthcare.

3 Dec 2024

Spinal manipulation linked to lower butalbital use in tension-type headaches

A team of researchers led by University Hospitals Connor Whole Health have identified an association between spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) and a reduced likelihood of butalbital prescription and medication overuse headache (MOH) for patients experiencing tension-type headaches (TTH). Their retrospective study, published in Health Science Reports, includes more than 6,200 patients from a national US database spanning 2013 to 2024.

3 Dec 2024

UTHealth study could set new standards for treating acromioclavicular joint injuries in athletes

A new UTHealth Houston study focused on finding the best surgical technique for reconstruction of the acromioclavicular joint (ACJ), where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade, has the potential to enhance recovery and long-term shoulder health for young athletes.

3 Dec 2024

Loss of empathy in frontotemporal dementia linked to brain activity changes

Patients with frontotemporal dementia often lack the ability to empathize. A study at Karolinska Institutet has now shown that these patients do not show the same brain activity as healthy individuals when they witness the pain of others, a finding that it is hoped will increase understanding of this specific dementia disease.

3 Dec 2024

Minimally invasive procedure provides relief for knee osteoarthritis sufferers

A minimally invasive procedure provides significant relief from knee pain and may prevent the need for knee replacement surgery in people with osteoarthritis, according to a study being presented this week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

3 Dec 2024

Brain scan could predict success of spinal surgery for chronic pain

A 10-minute brain scan can predict the effectiveness of a risky spinal surgery to alleviate intractable pain. The Kobe University result gives doctors a much-needed biomarker to discuss with patients considering spinal cord stimulation.

3 Dec 2024

New food-grade natural solution created for tackling obesity

As obesity rates continue to rise, many are turning to prescription medicines like Ozempic for weight loss. But with significant side effects, accessibility and cost issues, alternatives are needed.

2 Dec 2024

Concizumab shows promising results for hemophilia patients

For people with the bleeding disorder hemophilia, life can seem like one continuous state of alertness. If they accidentally cut their finger while chopping vegetables, they have to immediately administer the clotting factor protein that their body either lacks or does not produce enough of.

2 Dec 2024

Researchers discover new cause of cytokine storm in COVID-19

As part of the COVID-19 International Research Team, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Pittsburgh and Weill Cornell Medicine discovered a novel cause of cytokine storm - the extreme inflammatory response associated with increased risk of death in COVID-19 infection.

2 Dec 2024