FMRI activation in spontaneous trigeminal neuralgia attacks

Objective: To determine which supraspinal brain regions are active in the human brain during pain processing in spontaneous trigeminal neuralgia attacks. Background: Previous research suggested impairment of the trigeminal nociceptive system due to demyelination and/or axonal dysfunction on the symptomatic side close to the root entry zone in the brainstem. The involvement of central structures in the pathophysiology of trigeminal neuralgia is more and more discussed. Methods: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in a patient with trigeminal neuralgia during repeated spontaneous trigeminal…