An open study of botulinum-A toxin treatment of trigeminal neuralgia

• Published in: Neurology Vol. 65; no. 8; p. 1306
• Main Authors: Piovesan, E J, Teive, H G, Kowacs, P A, Della Coletta, M V, Werneck, L C, Silberstein, S D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 25.10.2005
• Subjects: Aged; Analgesics - therapeutic use; Anticonvulsants - therapeutic use; Blepharoptosis - chemically induced; Botulinum Toxins, Type A - administration & dosage; Botulinum Toxins, Type A - adverse effects; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neuropeptides - antagonists & inhibitors; Neuropeptides - secretion; Neurotoxins - administration & dosage; Neurotoxins - adverse effects; Nociceptors - drug effects; Nociceptors - physiology; Pain Measurement - drug effects; Pain Threshold - drug effects; Pain Threshold - physiology; Pilot Projects; Sensory Receptor Cells - drug effects; Sensory Receptor Cells - physiology; Synaptic Transmission - drug effects; Synaptic Transmission - physiology; Treatment Outcome; Trigeminal Nerve - drug effects; Trigeminal Nerve - physiopathology; Trigeminal Neuralgia - drug therapy; Trigeminal Neuralgia - physiopathology
• ISSN: 1526-632X
• DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000180940.98815.74

Thirteen subjects with trigeminal neuralgia were treated with botulinum-A neurotoxin (BoNT/A) in an open-label pilot study. After BoNT/A, visual analog scale score, surface area of pain, and therapeutic coefficient were reduced in all patients and for all branch trigeminal nerves studied. Therefore, BoNT/A is an efficient treatment. There were no major side effects. A placebo-controlled clinical trial is needed to confirm these findings.