Central neuropathic pain in Parkinson's disease

INTRODUCTION: Central pain is one type of pain that occurs in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Because of its low incidence and prevalence, it often goes unnoticed and affected patients do not therefore receive adequate analgesic therapy, which increases their suffering. It is a burning pain with spontaneous onset and periods of exacerbation; pain is poorly localised and usually more intense on the more affected side. Its pathophysiology on patients with PD is not clearly defined. METHODS: We performed a search and systematic selection of all clinical studies published from January 1986 to September 2010 concerning central neuropathic pain in Parkinson's disease. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with L-Dopa has not been demonstrated to have an analgesic effect on this type of pain. Future studies are required to improve our understanding of this condition, and to develop interventions for preventing and treating it.