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From WE MOVE September 28, 2004 PD Patients Have Lower Heat Pain Thresholds Quantitative measurements of pain sensations in Parkinson disease R Djaldetti, A Shifrin, Z Rogowski, E Sprecher, E Melamed, D Yarnitsky Neurology 2004;62:2171-2175 PD patients are more sensitive to certain types of pain than healthy controls, according to this study. Fifty-one consecutive PD patients were recruited, and divided into two groups. Thirty-six patients, average disease duration 5.3 years, had predominantly unilateral PD without response fluctuations. Fifteen patients, average disease duration 10.6 years, had response fluctuations. Patients underwent pain threshold testing, for mechanical pain and thermal pain. Testing was in the off state, with additional testing in the on state for patients with fluctuations. Responses were also obtained from 28 healthy age-matched controls. Of the patients with unilateral PD, 21 reported some level of endogenous pain, as did 12 of 15 patients with fluctuations. Pain was characterized as burning, itching, or tearing, and in unilateral patients was localized primarily either ipsilateral to the most affected side or present bilaterally. Mechanical pain thresholds did not differ between patient groups, between patients and controls, or between sides in patients. Heat pain thresholds were lower in patients compared to controls. Patients reported pain at an average of 44.0 degrees C, versus 46.1 C for controls (P<0.03). Thresholds were lower in patients with endogenous pain than those without (42.6 C vs. 45.6 C, p<0.01). In unilaterally affected patients, thresholds were lower on the affected side, for patients both with and without endogenous pain. In fluctuating patients, there was no effect on thresholds from levodopa treatment. In an accompanying editorial, Beata Buzas and Mitchell Max note that the findings here are contrary to those in post-stroke pain, in which pain thresholds are elevated. “The most important experiments are those that reveal gaps in our current theories and approaches,” they write. “Their finding…is convincing and novel and demands that researchers in pain, motor systems, and neurodegeneration join forces to explain it.” http://www.imakenews.com/wemove/e_article000308854.cfm?x=b3CFTS3,b1Qs8yH9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn