Canadian Journal of Anesthesia 50:1086 (2003)
© Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society, 2003
Proceedings of the 10th World Congress on Pain. Progress in Pain Research and Management. Volume 24
Jonathan O. Dostrovsky, Daniel B. Carr, Martin Koltzenburg (Eds.). IASP Secretariat Press, 2003. 959 pages. $85.00 US (retail price), $64.00 US (IASP member price). ISBN 0-931092-46-9
Pierre Beaulieu, MD PhD FRCA
Montréal, Québec
The World Congress on Pain, organized every three years by the International Association for the Study of Pain is always followed, a few months later, by the publication of a book. Thus, this new volume presents a rich collection of pain topics selected from more than 1,700 contributions to the 10th World Congress on Pain held in August 2002 in San Diego, California, USA. Included are important developments in both basic research and clinical studies. The book of more than 900 pages is divided in ten parts including basic research on the properties of nociceptors, central processing of nociceptive signals, central sensitization, animal and human pharmacological studies, genetics and gene therapy, clinical epidemiology, pain assessment, etc. Pain due to specific medical conditions such as cancer or amputation is discussed, as is pain common to specific populations such as the aged, the developmentally impaired and survivors of torture. The book concludes with chapters on non-pharmacological therapeutic approaches and outcomes assessment. As stated by the editor, a recurrent theme in this volume is the need not simply to minimize pain intensity but also to maximize quality of life and functionality. The authors are all world experts in their field and this volume gives an invaluable update on many different aspects of pain research and management. It is aimed at all pain researchers or clinicians and it should be available in every departmental library.
