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Association Between Opioid Use and Sensory Perception in Patients with Cancer Pain: A Neurometric Study
Akifumi Kanai1, Masatomo Ara2, Yuichiro Takahashi2
1Division of Dolorology, Research and Development Center for New Medical Frontiers, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan.
Background:
Opioids are a cornerstone of cancer pain management; however, their effects on sensory and pain thresholds in routine clinical settings remain incompletely understood.
Objective:
To investigate the association between opioid use and neurometric sensory and pain thresholds in patients with cancer-related pain.
Methods:
This cross-sectional observational study assessed quantitative sensory function using the Neurometer®. Current perception thresholds (CPT) and pain thresholds (PT) for Aβ, Aδ, and c fibers were evaluated in 208 adult patients with cancer pain in a hospital-based palliative care setting. Patients were classified according to opioid use, and age-adjusted analyses were performed.
Results:
Pain thresholds did not differ between the opioid and non-opioid groups in either unadjusted or age-adjusted analyses across all fiber types. After adjustment for age, a significant between-group difference was observed for Aβ CPT, whereas CPT for Aδ and c fibers did not differ between groups.
Conclusions:
In patients with cancer-related pain, routine opioid use was not associated with clinically meaningful alterations in pain thresholds in this cohort; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously given the cross-sectional design and potential residual confounding.
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