SUMMARY Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and glossopharyngeal neuralgia are uncommon facial pain syndromes associated with multiple sclerosis, increasing age, and possibly hypertension. The diagnosis of TN is based on a comprehensive clinical history and physical examination, assisted by radiological investigations. A…
SUMMARY It is common clinical experience that most diseases affecting the peripheral nervous system produce negative neurological symptoms or signs. Conditions in which damage to the nervous system does cause pain are a paradox since impairment of nerve fibers carrying…
SUMMARY Phantom phenomena are experienced by almost all amputees following amputation. Most patients feel that the missing limb is still there, and some may have vivid sensations of shape, length, posture, and movement. These non-painful phantom sensations rarely pose any…
SUMMARY Peripheral nerve injury of various types, for example, complete nerve transection or loose nerve constrictions (Bennett model), results in changes in the expression of a large number of molecules in the parent neuronal cell bodies in the sensory dorsal…
SUMMARY Neuropathic pain has an adverse impact on quality of life and remains an important unmet medical need. Consequently, many attempts have been made to “model” neuropathic pain in animals, each with its strengths and shortcomings. The observation that animals…
SUMMARY When a telephone cable is cut across, the phone falls silent. Damaged nerves behave differently. Nerve injury causes “negative” symptoms such as hypoesthesia and numbness, the equivalent of the silent telephone. However, in addition there are often “positive” symptoms…
SUMMARY The sensory innervation of the eye is provided by the peripheral axons of primary sensory neurons located in the trigeminal ganglion that enter the eyeball mainly through the ciliary nerves and reach all ocular tissues with the exception of…
SUMMARY Tension-type headache (TTH) is an ill-defined and heterogeneous syndrome, with its diagnosis based mainly on the absence of features found in other types of headaches, such as migraine. It is thus above all a “featureless” headache characterized by nothing…
SUMMARY Headache is a common human experience and provides a considerable clinical challenge when it occurs. This chapter covers the major disabling primary headaches: migraine and the trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, including cluster headache and hemicrania continua. These disorders share the…
SUMMARY The constellation of orofacial pain disorders is a major health care issue with high prevalence, intensity, and immeasurable impact on quality of life. Although there are many common aspects of pain transduction and processing between the trigeminal and spinal…