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Query: UMLS:C0004134 (ataxia)
 15,886 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The administration of single oral doses of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to patients with cancer pain demonstrated a mild analgesic effect. At a dose of 20 mg, however, THC induced side effects that would prohibit its therapeutic use including somnolence, dizziness, ataxia, and blurred vision. Alarming adverse reactions were also observed at this dose. THC, 10 mg, was well tolerated and, despite its sedative effect, may analgesic potential.
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PMID:The analgesic properties of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and codeine. 5 Jan 59

In this article the technique of CT-Guided Selective Cordotomy is described. The advantages of CT guidance in percutaneous cordotomy are the measurement of spinal cord diameters at the lesion site for each individual patient, direct visualization of target electrode relations, demonstration of spinal cord displacement during the procedure and localization of the electrode system in a specific part of the spinothalamic tract. Local destruction of the spinothalamic tract leads to selective cordotomy. Since 1987, CT-Guided Cordotomy has been applied to 54 cases of intractable cancer pain. In 33 of the 54 cases, the cordotomy was selective enough to be successful with a local denervation of the area where the pain was dominant. Except for one temporary hemiparesis and one temporary ataxia, no complications or side effects were observed.
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PMID:CT-guided percutaneous selective cordotomy. 821 85

Cancer pain is a prevalent and serious public health issue, and more effective treatments are needed. This study evaluates the analgesic activity of tetrodotoxin, a highly selective sodium channel blocker, in cancer pain. A Phase IIa, open-label, multicenter, dose-escalation study of intramuscular tetrodotoxin was conducted in patients with severe, unrelieved cancer pain. The study design called for six ascending dose levels of intramuscular tetrodotoxin, administered over a four-day treatment period in hospitalized patients, with six patients to be enrolled within each successive dose level. Twenty-four patients underwent 31 courses of treatment at doses ranging from 15 to 90 microg daily, administered in divided doses, over four days. Most patients described transient perioral tingling or other mild sensory phenomena within about an hour of each treatment. Nausea and other toxicities were generally mild, but two patients experienced a serious adverse event, truncal and gait ataxia, that resolved over days. Seventeen of 31 treatments resulted in clinically meaningful reductions in pain intensity, and relief of pain persisted for up to two weeks or longer. Two patients had opioids held due to narcosis concurrent with relief of pain. Somatic, visceral, or neuropathic pain could all respond, but it was not possible to predict which patients were more likely to have an analgesic effect. Tetrodotoxin was overall safe. It effectively relieved severe, treatment-resistant cancer pain in the majority of patients and often for prolonged periods after treatment. It may have a novel mechanism of analgesic effect. Further study is warranted.
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PMID:An open-label, multi-dose efficacy and safety study of intramuscular tetrodotoxin in patients with severe cancer-related pain. 1766 11

Cancer pain is a serious public health issue and more effective treatments are needed. This study evaluates the analgesic activity of tetrodotoxin, a highly selective sodium channel blocker. This randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel design study of subcutaneous tetrodotoxin, in patients with moderate or severe unrelieved cancer pain persisting despite best available treatment, involved 22 centers across Canada. The design called for tetrodotoxin administered subcutaneously over Days 1-4 with a period of observation to Day 15 or longer. All patients could enroll into an open-label extension efficacy and safety trial. The primary endpoint was the proportion of analgesic responders in each treatment arm. Eighty-two patients were randomized, and results on 77 were available for analysis. There was a nonstatistically significant trend toward more responders in the active treatment arm based on the primary endpoint (pain intensity difference). However, analysis of secondary endpoints, and an exploratory post hoc analysis, suggested there may be a robust analgesic effect if a composite endpoint is used, including either fall in pain level, or fall in opioid dose, plus improvement in quality of life. Most patients described transient perioral tingling or other mild sensory phenomena within about an hour of each treatment. Nausea and other toxicities were generally mild, but one patient experienced a serious, adverse event, truncal and gait ataxia. This trial suggests tetrodotoxin may potentially relieve moderate to severe, treatment-resistant cancer pain in a large proportion of patients, and often for prolonged periods following treatment, but further study is warranted using a composite primary endpoint.
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PMID:Tetrodotoxin for moderate to severe cancer pain: a randomized, double blind, parallel design multicenter study. 1824 39

(1) When oral morphine does not relieve severe pain and when there is no specific treatment for the underlying cause, the first option is to try subcutaneous or intravenous administration. If this standard treatment fails or is poorly tolerated, intrathecal injection is usually preferred as the direct route to the central nervous system. However, one-quarter to one-half of patients still do not achieve adequate pain relief, and adverse effects are relatively frequent; (2) Ziconotide is not an opiate and is not related to the usual classes of drugs that interfere with nervous transmission in the posterior horn of the spinal cord. Marketing authorization has been granted for "severe, chronic pain in patients who require intrathecal analgesia". The Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) recommends continuous infusion via an intrathecal catheter connected to a pump; (3) Clinical evaluation of ziconotide does not include any trials versus morphine in patients with nociceptive pain, or any trials versus tricyclic or antiepileptic drugs in patients with neurogenic pain; (4) In a trial in 220 patients in whom systemic morphine had failed, the mean pain score on a 100-mm visual analogue scale was 69.8 mm after three weeks on ziconotide, compared to 75.8 mm with placebo. This difference, although statistically significant, is clinically irrelevant. The proportion of "responders" (reduction of at least 30% in the initial pain score) was respectively 16.1% and 12.0% (no statistically significant difference); (5) The two other placebo-controlled trials included 112 patients with pain linked to cancer or HIV infection, and 257 patients with non-cancer pain. After a titration phase lasting 5 to 6 days, a combined analysis of the two trials showed that the mean pain score was 48.8 mm with ziconotide and 68.4 mm with placebo (statistically significant difference). However, many patients did not complete the titration phase. Efficacy also appeared to differ according to the type of pain; ziconotide was more effective on cancer pain than on neurogenic pain; (6) The main adverse effects of ziconotide in clinical trials were cerebellovestibular disorders such as ataxia, dizziness, and gait disorders, as well as confusion, hallucinations (increased in cases of overdose), nausea, vomiting, postural hypotension, and urine retention. About 40% of patients had an elevation in muscle creatine kinase activity, through an unknown mechanism; (7) Intrathecal administration carries a risk of infection (especially meningitis). Some patients might experience a paradoxical increase in pain with ziconotide; (8) In practice, the efficacy of ziconotide in relieving neurogenic pain remains to be established. In cancer pain, the available evidence showing that ziconotide is effective after opiate failure is too weak in view of the potential risks. It is better to re-examine and, if possible, correct the reasons for opiate treatment failure rather than prescribe ziconotide.
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PMID:Ziconotide: new drug. Limited analgesic efficacy, too many adverse effects. 1953 Mar 73