[Article in French]

Chanier S, Lauxerois M, Rieu V.

Service de Medecine, Centre Hospitalier, Thiers. sevchanier@voila.fr

INTRODUCTION: The most frequent neurological expression of Lyme disease (borreliosis) during its secondary phase is meningoradiculitis, but atypical presentations occur. Lyme disease must be considered especially in endemic areas and during the summer (May-October). CASES: We report cases of two patients with unusual clinical presentations of neuroborreliosis. Both had acute inflammatory back pain, resistant to the usual analgesic treatment. Both patients responded negatively to questions about tick bites and erythema migrans. Laboratory tests revealed an inflammatory process in only one patient. Lyme disease was confirmed by lymphocytic meningitis and serological tests positive for Borrelia in blood (both cases) and cerebrospinal fluid (one case). Antibiotic treatment led to the disappearance of pain and the normalization of laboratory tests. DISCUSSION: Inflammatory back pain, even without radiculitis, may be related to Lyme disease in endemic areas.

Publication Types:

• Case Reports
• English Abstract

PMID: 17261450 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

Butler RJ, Johnson WG, Cote P.

Department of Economics, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA. richard_butler@byu.edu

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the influence that workers’ satisfaction with the firm’s treatment of their disability claim and their health care provider has on workers’ return to work (RTW) following onset of occupational LBP. METHODS: Using a prospective survey on back pain, medical treatment, and workers’ satisfaction, we employ nonparametric and logistic analyses to see how satisfaction affects RTW. RESULTS: Workers’ satisfaction with their employer’s treatment of their disability claim is more important in explaining RTW than satisfaction with health care providers or expectations about recovery. Dissatisfied workers have worse return to work outcomes because they are more likely to have time lost claims and are more likely to have multiple spells of joblessness. CONCLUSIONS: Workers’ RTW is more responsive to their satisfaction with how the firm treated their disability claim than with their satisfaction with the health care provider. Satisfaction of both types plays an important role in determining RTW.

PMID: 17293761 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

[Article in French]

Slaoui T, Mas-Gerdelat A, Ory-Magne F, Rascol O, Brefel-Courbon C.

Service de Neurologie, CHU, Toulouse. tarikslaoui@yahoo.com

OBJECTIVE: To assess levodopa dose effect on pain thresholds in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients using an experimental nociceptive thermal stimulation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated pain thresholds in 20 PD patients treated by dopaminergic drugs. We assessed heat and cold pain thresholds by using 2 different methods (method of limits and method of levels), intensity-response curve and tolerance threshold. Each PD patient was evaluated in two conditions: ON (after administration of leovdopa and OFF (after acute levodopa withdrawal). The order was randomized. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 652+/-9.9 years and the mean duration was 9.3+/-3.3 years. Heat pain thresholds were statistically higher in ON versus OFF condition using both methods (44.1+/-3,6 degrees C versus 42.3+/-3,1 degrees C, method of levels, p=0.02). Cold pain thresholds were statistically higher in ON versus OFF condition only using method of levels (17.9+/-4,4 degrees C versus 19.6+/-4,2 degrees C, p=0.02). Heat pain tolerance was statistically higher in ON versus OFF condition (21.4+/-21.6 seconds versus 14.7+/-20.3 seconds, p=0.02). CONCLUSION: This study showed that levodopa increased heat and cold pain thresholds and heat pain tolrance in PD patients. This suggests that dopaminergic drugs could have an analgesic effects on PD related pain.

Publication Types:

• English Abstract

PMID: 17304174 [PubMed – in process]