Papers by Ricardo Vallejo
Brain Sciences
This research focused on the development of an astrocyte cell model system (C6 glioma) for the as... more This research focused on the development of an astrocyte cell model system (C6 glioma) for the assessment of molecular changes in response to cathodic passively balanced pulsed electrical stimulation at a rate of 50 Hz (60 µs duration, 0.15 mA intensity). Cells treated with selected neurotransmitters (glutamate, adenosine, D-serine, and γ-aminobutyric acid) were monitored (using specific fluorescent probes) for changes in levels of intracellular nitric oxide, calcium ions, and/or chloride. ES exerted an inhibitory effect on NO, increased calcium and had no effect on chloride. Using this model, cells can be assessed qualitatively and quantitatively for changes and these changes can be correlated with the putative molecular effects that electrical stimulation has on astrocytes and their role in glia-mediated diseases. This model system allows for faster and cheaper experiments than those involving animal models due to the potential to easily vary the conditions, reduce the number of v...
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Journal of Pain Research
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Frontiers in Neurology
BackgroundSevere coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized, in part, by an excessive i... more BackgroundSevere coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized, in part, by an excessive inflammatory response. Evidence from animal and human studies suggests that vagus nerve stimulation can lead to reduced levels of various biomarkers of inflammation. We conducted a prospective randomized controlled study (SAVIOR-I) to assess the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) for the treatment of respiratory symptoms and inflammatory markers among patients who were hospitalized for COVID-19 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04368156).MethodsParticipants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 allocation to receive either the standard of care (SoC) alone or nVNS therapy plus the SoC. The nVNS group received 2 consecutive 2-min doses of nVNS 3 times daily as prophylaxis. Efficacy and safety were evaluated via the incidence of specific clinical events, inflammatory biomarker levels, and the occurrence of adverse events.ResultsOf the 110 participants...
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Pain Physician, 2008
Medications which bind to opioid receptors are increasingly being prescribed for the treatment of... more Medications which bind to opioid receptors are increasingly being prescribed for the treatment of multiple and diverse chronic painful conditions. Their use for acute pain or terminal pain is well accepted. Their role in the long-term treatment of chronic noncancer pain is, however, controversial for many reasons. One of the primary reasons is the well-known phenomenon of psychological addiction that can occur with the use of these medications. Abuse and diversion of these medications is a growing problem as the availability of these medications increases and this public health issue confounds their clinical utility. Also, the extent of their efficacy in the treatment of pain when utilized on a chronic basis has not been definitively proven. Lastly, the role of opioids in the treatment of chronic pain is also influenced by the fact that these potent analgesics are associated with a significant number of side effects and complications. It is these phenomena that are the focus of this...
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
July 2015, 2015
Background: The therapeutic spinal facet joint interventions generally used for the treatment of ... more Background: The therapeutic spinal facet joint interventions generally used for the treatment of axial spinal pain of facet joint origin are intraarticular facet joint injections, facet joint nerve blocks, and radiofrequency neurotomy. Despite interventional procedures being common as treatment strategies for facet joint pathology, there is a paucity of literature investigating these therapeutic approaches. Systematic reviews assessing the effectiveness of various therapeutic facet joint interventions have shown there to be variable evidence based on the region and the modality of treatment utilized. Overall, the evidence ranges from limited to moderate. Objective: To evaluate and update the clinical utility of therapeutic lumbar, cervical, and thoracic facet joint interventions in managing chronic spinal pain. Study Design: A systematic review of therapeutic lumbar, cervical, and thoracic facet joint interventions for the treatment of chronic spinal pain. Methods: The available lit...
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Pain Physician, 2019
Background: Regenerative medicine is a medical subspecialty that seeks to recruit and enhance the... more Background: Regenerative medicine is a medical subspecialty that seeks to recruit and enhance the body’s own inherent healing armamentarium in the treatment of patient pathology. This therapy’s intention is to assist in the repair, and to potentially replace or restore damaged tissue through the use of autologous or allogenic biologics. This field is rising like a Phoenix from the ashes of underperforming conventional therapy midst the hopes and high expectations of patients and medical personnel alike. But, because this is a relatively new area of medicine that has yet to substantiate its outcomes, care must be taken in its public presentation and promises as well as in its use. Objective: To provide guidance for the responsible, safe, and effective use of biologic therapy in the lumbar spine. To present a template on which to build standardized therapies using biologics. To ground potential administrators of biologics in the knowledge of the current outcome statistics and to stimu...
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Molecular Pain, 2020
Spinal cord stimulation is a proven effective therapy for treating chronic neuropathic pain. Prev... more Spinal cord stimulation is a proven effective therapy for treating chronic neuropathic pain. Previous work in our laboratory demonstrated that spinal cord stimulation based on a differential target multiplexed programming approach provided significant relief of pain-like behavior in rodents subjected to the spared nerve injury model of neuropathic pain. The relief was significantly better than obtained using high rate and low rate programming. Furthermore, transcriptomics-based results implied that differential target multiplexed programming modulates neuronal–glial interactions that have been perturbed by the pain process. Although differential target multiplexed programming was developed to differentially target neurons and glial cells, our previous work did not address this. This work presents transcriptomes, specific to each of the main neural cell populations (neurons, microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes), obtained from spinal cord subjected to continuous spinal cord st...
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Trials, 2020
Objectives Primary Objective: The primary objective is to reduce initiation of mechanical ventila... more Objectives Primary Objective: The primary objective is to reduce initiation of mechanical ventilator dependency in patients with moderate to severe CoViD- 19. This will be measured as the difference between the control group and active group for subjects admitted to the hospital for CoViD-19. Secondary Objectives: • To evaluate cytokine trends / Prevent cytokine storms • To evaluate supplemental oxygen requirements • To decrease mortality of CoViD-19 patients • Delay onset of ventilation Trial design The study is a single centre, 2-arm, prospective, randomized (ratio 1:1), controlled trial with parallel groups design to compare the reduction of respiratory distress in a CoViD-19 population, using the intervention of the gammaCore®-Sapphire device plus standard of care (active) vs. standard of care alone (SoC) - the control group. The gammaCore® treatments will be used acutely and prophylactically. The active and control groups will be matched for disease and severity. Participants i...
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, 2020
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Bioelectronic Medicine, 2019
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Pain Medicine, 2017
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society, Jan 2, 2017
Neurostimulation involves the implantation of devices to stimulate the brain, spinal cord, or per... more Neurostimulation involves the implantation of devices to stimulate the brain, spinal cord, or peripheral or cranial nerves for the purpose of modulating the neural activity of the targeted structures to achieve specific therapeutic effects. Surgical placement of neurostimulation devices is associated with risks of neurologic injury, as well as possible sequelae from the local or systemic effects of the intervention. The goal of the Neurostimulation Appropriateness Consensus Committee (NACC) is to improve the safety of neurostimulation. The International Neuromodulation Society (INS) is dedicated to improving neurostimulation efficacy and patient safety. Over the past two decades the INS has established a process to use best evidence to improve care. This article updates work published by the NACC in 2014. NACC authors were chosen based on nomination to the INS executive board and were selected based on publications, academic acumen, international impact, and diversity. In areas in w...
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Neurosurgery, 2016
BACKGROUND: Pain relief with spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has focused historically on paresthesi... more BACKGROUND: Pain relief with spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has focused historically on paresthesias overlapping chronically painful areas. A higher level evidence supports the use of SCS in treating leg pain than supports back pain, as it is difficult to achieve adequate paresthesia coverage, and then pain relief, in the low back region. In comparison, 10-kHz high-frequency (HF10 therapy) SCS therapy does not rely on intraoperative paresthesia mapping and remains paresthesia-free during therapy. OBJECTIVE: To compare long-term results of HF10 therapy and traditional low-frequency SCS. METHODS: A pragmatic randomized, controlled, pivotal trial with 24-month follow-up was conducted across 11 comprehensive pain treatment centers. Subjects had Visual Analog Scale scores of ≥5.0/10.0 cm for both back and leg pain, and were assigned randomly (1:1) to receive HF10 therapy or low-frequency SCS. The primary end point was a responder rate, defined as ≥50% back pain reduction from baseline at ...
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Journal of Pain Research, 2021
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Revista de la Sociedad Española del Dolor, 2016
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Pain Physician, 2016
Background: Chronic neuropathic pain has been recognized as contributing to a significant proport... more Background: Chronic neuropathic pain has been recognized as contributing to a significant proportion of chronic pain globally. Among these, spinal pain is of significance with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), generating considerable expense for the health care systems with increasing prevalence and health impact. Objective: To assess the role and effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in chronic spinal pain. Study Design: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of SCS in chronic spinal pain. Methods: The available literature on SCS was reviewed. The quality assessment criteria utilized were Cochrane review criteria to assess sources of risk of bias and Interventional Pain Management Techniques – Quality Appraisal of Reliability and Risk of Bias Assessment (IPM – QRB) criteria for randomized trials. The level of evidence was based on a best evidence synthesis with modified grading of qualitative evidence from Level I to Level V. Data sources included re...
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Pain Physician, 2007
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Uploads
Papers by Ricardo Vallejo