THE MECHANISM OF THE PAIN IN TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA

Abstract
The relation-ship of stimuli applied to the trigger zone and the pain paroxysm in 50 patients indicated that touch and possibly tickle rather than pain itself was an adequate stimulus. Fairly large spatial summation and some temporal summation were required to trigger an attack, which was followed by a refractory period. Anti-epileptic drugs (lydocaine, hydantoin) raised the attack threshold and shortened its duration. The pain mechanism is probably central; in structures related to the spinal V nucleus.