An experimental study examines how pain perception alters synaptic and somatic plasticity in the dentate gyrus. It summarizes methods, key electrophysiological findings, and implications for pain‑related cognitive effects. Show less

Chronic pain affects over 30% of the global population, and reliance on external drugs for treatment has led to major issues, including the present opioid epidemic. A healthier option is necessary, which is why music therapy’s analgesic effects have been extensively studied within the last 20 years. Not only is music relatively harmless but given that chronic pain patients require repeated treatment, musical intervention is far more accessible and economical. While the mechanisms underlying music-induced analgesia are relatively unclear, the production of endogenous opioids while listening to music through both the descending pain modulatory circuit and the limbic system, is postulated to play this role. This review describes the brain regions and pathways by which music may trigger the release of endogenous opioids such as enkephalins, endorphins, and dynorphins. More importantly, it discusses the cellular mechanisms through which these neuropeptides are thought to mediate pleasure-induced analgesia in chronic pain patients. Show less

Background Prescribing appropriate analgesics with optimal dosages based on patients' pain severity is challenging, especially when multiple painkillers are involved. Tracking and analyzing the effectiveness of analgesics and their dosages over time is crucial for pain management. Existing systems lack the ability to integrate analgesic equivalent doses with temporal trends in pain scores, hindering effective decision-making. Methods We developed a Clinical Support System that calculates the daily oral morphine equivalent dose and analyzes trends in consumed equivalent doses of analgesics. The system provides a graphical user interface that displays medication prescriptions, actual medication usage, and pain scores. It offers features such as correlating analgesic drug usage with pain intensity, trend analysis of analgesic drug usage and pain intensity, and identification of effective oral morphine equivalent doses. Results The system overcomes previous barriers in drug analysis by providing real-time calculation of oral morphine equivalents and trend analysis of pain duration. It assists physicians in prescribing appropriate and safe medication dosages, enhancing medication safety for patients. Conclusions Our clinical support system offers a comprehensive solution for analyzing trends in consumed equivalent doses of analgesics. It integrates medication prescriptions, actual usage, and pain scores, providing decision-making support for pain management. Show less