Chalcone (1,3-diarylprop-2-en-1-one) derivatives have been introduced as selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors. In the present study, anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of eight novel compounds were evaluated in male mice and Wistar rats by using the writhing and formalin-induced paw edema tests respectively. The activities of the compounds were compared with celecoxib as a referenc...

BACKGROUND Because pain often signals the occurrence of potential tissue damage, a nociceptive stimulus has the capacity to involuntarily capture attention and take priority over other sensory inputs. Whether distraction by nociception actually occurs may depend upon the cognitive characteristics of the ongoing activities. The present study tested the role of working memory in controlling the a...

The role of the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is well established in nociceptive behaviors. CGRP is highly expressed in the projection pathway from the parabrachial nucleus to the laterocapsular region of the central amygdala (CeC), which plays a critical role in relaying nociceptive information. The CeC is a key structure in pain behavior because it integrates and modulat...

The circadian variation of the toxicity and nociceptive actIvity of aminophylline as an important methylxanthine was studied in mice. The animals were housed under controlled light-dark cycles for at least 2 weeks. Acute toxicity was determined by LD50. Hot-plate test was used for determination of thermal pain threshold. Doses of 200, 250, 280 and 340 mg/kg of aminophylline were injected i...

Increasing evidence about the central nervous representation of pain in the brain suggests that the operculo-insular cortex is a crucial part of the pain matrix. The pain-specificity of a brain region may be tested by administering nociceptive stimuli while controlling for unspecific activations by administering non-nociceptive stimuli. We applied this paradigm to nasal chemosensation, deliveri...

Pain is both a sensory event of the peripheral and central nervous systems and an experience that arises from, and reciprocally can affect processes of higher consciousness. Alterations in peripheral and central neuraxes can lead to sensitization, structural modification and long-term potentiation that can overcome modulatory influence(s) and change the non-linear adaptability of these systems ...

word count: 247) 1 Neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies have shown that nociceptive stimuli 2 elicit responses in an extensive cortical network including somatosensory, insular 3 and cingulate areas, as well as frontal and parietal areas. This network, often 4 referred to as the “pain matrix”, is viewed as representing the activity by which the 5 intensity and unpleasantness of the perce...

Objects approaching us may pose a threat, and signal the need to initiate defensive behavior. Detecting these objects early is crucial to either avoid the object or prepare for contact most efficiently. This requires the construction of a coherent representation of our body, and the space closely surrounding our body, i.e. the peripersonal space. This study, with 27 healthy volunteers, investig...

In view of a didactical approach for teaching cervical mobilization and manipulation techniques to students as well as their use in daily practice, it is mandatory to acquire sound clinical reasoning to optimally apply advanced technical skills. The aim of this Masterclass is to present a clinical algorithm to guide (novice) therapists in their clinical reasoning to identify patients who are li...

Experience of stress may lead to increased electromyography (EMG) activity in specific muscles compared to a non-stressful situation. The main aim of this study was to develop and validate a stress-EMG paradigm in which a single uncontrollable and unpredictable nociceptive stimulus was presented. EMG activity of the trapezius muscles was the response of interest. In addition to linear time effe...