Effectiveness of dry needling on the local pressure pain threshold in patients with masticatory myofascial pain. Systematic review and preliminary clinical trial.

Objective: To systematically review the literature to identify controlled clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of deep dry needling (DDN) in the treatment of patients with chronic masticatory myofascial pain (MMP).Methods: The sample size for a clinical trial was calculated and involved five patients who consecutively presented for treatment of MMP. The percentage of change in the means of three consecutive measurements of the pressure pain threshold (PPT) of myofascial trigger points (MTPs) was calculated and the statistical significance of this difference evaluated using the Wilcoxon test.Results: Twenty-five studies were considered for inclusion based on title and abstract. Only 2 studies met the inclusion criteria and were used to calculate the sample size. DDN significantly increased (p = 0.04) the PPT in MTP (44.6%) compared with sham procedure (-5.5%).Conclusion: Patients with chronic MMP treated with DDN of MTPs showed an increase in PPT measurements on the experimental side.Abbreviations: CGRP: calcitonin gene-related peptide; DC/TMD: diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders; DDN: deep dry needling; DN: dry needling; LILACS: Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences; MMP: masticatory myofascial pain; MTP: myofascial trigger point; MTPs: myofascial trigger points; PPT: pressure pain threshold; RCTs: randomized clinical trials; SciELO: Scientific Electronic Library Online; SP: Substance P; TMD: temporomandibular disorders.

Aura-like features and photophobia in sightless migraine patients.

UNLABELLED: Migraine is a central nervous system disorder frequently expressed with paroxysmal visual dysfunctions. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that normal visual input is vital for the migrainous aura and photophobia. METHOD: We studied the migraine-related visual disturbances in 8 sightless migraineurs identified among 200 visually impaired subjects. RESULTS: The main findings were the visual aura and photophobia disappearance along with blindness development, the oddness of aura - too short, colourful (e.g. blue or fire-like), auditory in nature or different in shape (round forms) - and the lack of photophobia. CONCLUSION: We propose that the aura duration should be accepted as shorter in visually impaired subjects. The changes in aura phenotype observed in our patients may be the result of both cerebral plasticity induced by the visual impairment and/or the lack of visual input per se. Integrity of visual pathways plays a key role in migraine visual aura and photophobia.

Aura-like features and photophobia in sightless migraine patients / Características de fenômenos aura-relacionados e da fotofobia em enxaquecosos deficientes visuais

Migraine is a central nervous system disorder frequently expressed with paroxysmal visual dysfunctions. Objective To test the hypothesis that normal visual input is vital for the migrainous aura and photophobia. Method We studied the migraine-related visual disturbances in 8 sightless migraineurs identified among 200 visually impaired subjects. Results The main findings were the visual aura and photophobia disappearance along with blindness development, the oddness of aura – too short, colourful (e.g. blue or fire-like), auditory in nature or different in shape (round forms) – and the lack of photophobia. Conclusion We propose that the aura duration should be accepted as shorter in visually impaired subjects. The changes in aura phenotype observed in our patients may be the result of both cerebral plasticity induced by the visual impairment and/or the lack of visual input per se. Integrity of visual pathways plays a key role in migraine visual aura and photophobia. .

A enxaqueca é doença neurológica frequentemente associada a anormalidades visuais transitórias. Objetivo Testar a hipótese de que a visão normal é importante para o fenótipo da aura e da fonofobia. Método Estudamos 8 enxaquecosos deficientes visuais identificados em uma população de 200 indivíduos com visão subnormal. Resultados Os principais achados foram: o desaparecimento da aura visual e da fotofobia com o início da cegueira; a ocorrência de aura atípica – muito curta, colorida (p. ex. azul ou cor de fogo) auditiva ou diferente na forma (arredondadas); e a ausência de fotofobia. Conclusão Propomos que a duração da aura possa ser admitida como mais curta em pessoas com deficiência visual. As mudanças no fenótipo da aura observadas nos nossos pacientes pode ser o resultado da plasticidade cerebral induzida pela deficiência visual e/ou a deficiência visual em si. A integridade da via visual desempenha um papel crucial na aura enxaquecosa e na fotofobia. .