Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine

"Central pain"

Original Articles

The Relation of Somatosensory Evoked Potentials to Central Post-stroke Pain.: Kim, Min Young , Kim, Sung Hyun , Cho, Ki Ho , Chae, Yu Jin; J Korean Acad Rehabil Med 2007;31(2):169-175.

Abstract
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Objective
To find out the clinical features of central post-stroke pain (CPSP) and how somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) are affected in patients with CPSP. Method: One hundred and one patients with stroke who showed normal results in nerve conduction study, were enrolled. SEPs were evoked by electrical stimulation of the median and tibial nerves. The results of the SEPs in the CPSP group were compared with those in the non-CPSP group. Brain SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) was examined and thalamic involvement in SPECT was compared between the groups. Results: Seventeen patients met the diagnostic criteria of CPSP. Nine patients showed normal findings in SEP. Abnormal findings in SEP were not related to the development of CPSP, but those who showed no response in SEP had significantly higher chance of developing CPSP. Thalamic involvement in SPECT was found in thirteen patients with CPSP, but was not related to the development of CPSP. Conclusion: Stroke patients who showed severe abnormality in SEP seem to be more likely to have CPSP. Therefore, SEP is thought to be helpful in the prediction of CPSP. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2007; 31: 169-175)

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Comparison of Spinal Cord Injury Pain and Musculoskeletal Pain Using McGill Pain Questionnaire.: Song, Min Sun , Mon, Hae Won , Rah, Ueon Woo , Lee, Il Yung , Yim, Shin Young , Park, Sang Il; J Korean Acad Rehabil Med 1997;21(1):62-70.

Abstract
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The McGill Pain Questionnaire consists primarily of 3 major classes in word descriptors-sensory, affective and evaluative-and is used in the studies of clinical and experimental pain. The purpose of the study is to analyze characteristics of the central pain in patients with spinal cord injury and to compare with the musculosleletal pain using McGill Pain Questionnaire(MPQ) Korean version.

The subjects of this study were ninety-nine patients with spinal cord injury who were admitted to Ajou University Hospital or registered with other social agencies, and thirty patients with musculoskeletal pain who were treated at the rehabilitation medicine out patient clinic of Ajou University Hospital. Central pain had significantly higher sensory, miscellaneous and total scores of MPQ Korean version than the musculoskeletal pain. There were no correlations between visual analogue scale and each dimension of MPQ Korean version except evaluative dimension in central pain. Central pain had significantly higher scores than musculoskeletal pain in subclasses such as spatial, punctate, incisive, thermal and coldness. The most frequently chosen words were "radiating"(46%) in central pain and "throbbing"(32%) in musculoskeletal pain of all subjects.

In conclusion, the central pain has no difference in pain intensity but shows bizzare and diverse character compared with the musculoskeletal pain. Authors suggest that MPQ Korean version can be an useful measuring tool for the evaluation and the follow up of the central pain of spinal origin.