Simple foot an ankle value: a simple evaluation correlated to the existing PROMs.

PURPOSE: The SFAV (Simple Foot and Ankle Value) consists in asking patients how they rate their joint function on the day of the examination, as a percentage of that of a normal joint (0-100% scale with 100% being normal). The main objective was to validate the SFAV by determining its correlation with validated foot and ankle function scores. METHODS: This was a prospective study. 90 patients were included in three groups: patients 16 to 54 years old with an acute or subacute ankle pathology (foot/ankle trauma patient group), patients more than 55 years old with ankle or foot osteoarthritis (foot/ankle degeneration patient group), and adults of any age without foot or ankle pathology (control group). A self-administered questionnaire with the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society, The European Foot and Ankle Society, the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score, the Visual Analogic Scale, and the SFAV was given at three different timepoints (enrollment, preoperative visit, and 6-month postoperative visit) to the patients. The validity of the SFAV was investigated by determining its correlation with the existing foot and ankle PROMs using Spearman's correlation; test-retest reliability, the responsiveness to change, and the discriminative ability of the SFAV were also analyzed. The significance threshold was set at 0.05. RESULTS: The SFAV was significantly correlated with the AOFAS, EFAS, and FAOS at all tested time points, with all p values below 0.033. SFAV scoring was reliable over time, as p values resulting from the comparison between initial and preoperative SFAV were all above the significance threshold. SFAV scoring was responsive to change, based on the comparison between pre- and postoperative SFAV (p < 0.05). Like for the AOFAS, EFAS, and FAOS, SFAV provides good discrimination between a healthy subject and a patient. The control group scores and initial consultation scores of the pooled patient's groups were statistically correlated (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The SFAV is a valid outcome measure correlated with the AOFAS, EFAS, FAOS, and VAS. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level of evidence III.

Centrally expressed Cav3.2 T-type calcium channel is critical for the initiation and maintenance of neuropathic pain.

Cav3.2 T-type calcium channel is a major molecular actor of neuropathic pain in peripheral sensory neurons, but its involvement at the supraspinal level is almost unknown. In the anterior pretectum (APT), a hub of connectivity of the somatosensory system involved in pain perception, we show that Cav3.2 channels are expressed in a subpopulation of GABAergic neurons coexpressing parvalbumin (PV). In these PV-expressing neurons, Cav3.2 channels contribute to a high-frequency-bursting activity, which is increased in the spared nerve injury model of neuropathy. Specific deletion of Cav3.2 channels in APT neurons reduced both the initiation and maintenance of mechanical and cold allodynia. These data are a direct demonstration that centrally expressed Cav3.2 channels also play a fundamental role in pain pathophysiology.

Social Determinants of Inter-Individual Variability and Vulnerability: The Role of Dopamine.

Individuals differ in their traits and preferences, which shape their interactions, their prospects for survival and their susceptibility to diseases. These correlations are well documented, yet the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the emergence of distinct personalities and their relation to vulnerability to diseases are poorly understood. Social ties, in particular, are thought to be major modulators of personality traits and psychiatric vulnerability, yet the majority of neuroscience studies are performed on rodents in socially impoverished conditions. Rodent micro-society paradigms are therefore key experimental paradigms to understand how social life generates diversity by shaping individual traits. Dopamine circuitry is implicated at the interface between social life experiences, the expression of essential traits, and the emergence of pathologies, thus proving a possible mechanism to link these three concepts at a neuromodulatory level. Evaluating inter-individual variability in automated social testing environments shows great promise for improving our understanding of the link between social life, personality, and precision psychiatry - as well as elucidating the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms.

Layer 2/3 Pyramidal Neurons Control the Gain of Cortical Output.

Initial anatomical and physiological studies suggested that sensory information relayed from the periphery by the thalamus is serially processed in primary sensory cortical areas. It is thought to propagate from layer 4 (L4) up to L2/3 and down to L5, which constitutes the main output of the cortex. However, more recent experiments point toward the existence of a direct processing of thalamic input by L5 neurons. Therefore, the role of L2/3 neurons in the sensory processing operated by L5 neurons is now highly debated. Using cell type-specific and reversible optogenetic manipulations in the somatosensory cortex of both anesthetized and awake mice, we demonstrate that L2/3 pyramidal neurons play a major role in amplifying sensory-evoked responses in L5 neurons. The amplification effect scales with the velocity of the sensory stimulus, indicating that L2/3 pyramidal neurons implement gain control in deep-layer neurons.