Abstract
Aim: To study the modulation of serum BDNF levels following integrated multimodal intervention in postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Materials & methods: A randomized, double-blind controlled study was undertaken among patients of thoracic PHN where 30 patients received pregabalin with pulsed radiofrequency and 30 controls received pregabalin with sham treatment. Results: Pain intensity (visual analog scale) was reduced earlier in intervention group (15.3 ± 5.7 at the fourth week) compared with control group (16.3 ± 6.6 at the eighth week). Serum BDNF level increased with time in both the groups with overall increase more pronounced in intervention group. Conclusion: Integrated multimodal therapy using minimally invasive pulsed radiofrequency and pregabalin in PHN was effective in early pain reduction with elevated serum BDNF levels.
Disclosure
K Lakshman was an ex-postgraduate resident of University College of Medical Sciences & Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, Delhi University, India.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.
Ethical conduct of research
The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.