Improvement in persistent idiopathic facial pain with comorbid ADHD using the combination of a dopamine system stabilizer and psychostimulant: A case report

• Published in: Clinical case reports Vol. 11; no. 6; pp. e7552 - n/a
• Main Authors: Kasahara, Satoshi, Kato, Yuichi, Takahashi, Kaori, Matsudaira, Ko, Sato, Naoko, Fukuda, Ken‐Ichi, Toyofuku, Akira, Niwa, Shin‐Ichi, Uchida, Kanji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.06.2023; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Anxiety; aripiprazole; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Case Report; Case reports; Chronic illnesses; Chronic pain; Comorbidity; Dopamine; Drug dosages; Hospitals; Jaw; Mental disorders; methylphenidate; pain behavior; persistent idiopathic facial pain; Prostheses; Psychiatrists; Psychiatry; Questionnaires; methylphenidate; aripiprazole; attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder; persistent idiopathic facial pain; dopamine; pain behavior
• ISSN: 2050-0904; 2050-0904
• DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.7552

Key Clinical Message Persistent idiopathic facial pain (PIFP) and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may coexist and can be improved with ADHD medications. Thus, clinicians should screen for ADHD by a multidisciplinary approach when treating PIFP and differentiate between other odontogenic disorders. We report a case of a woman with persistent idiopathic facial pain (PIFP) and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that markedly improved with the administration of a combination of aripiprazole (APZ) and methylphenidate (MP) treatment. Screening for ADHD and administration of APZ and/or MP may be considered in treating PIFP. Aripiprazole, a dopamine system stabilizer, and methylphenidate, a dopamine transporter reuptake inhibitor psychostimulant, dramatically improved pain behavior in persistent idiopathic facial pain.