Abstract
A number of patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) complain of painful sensations
that might be related not only to peripheral factors (muscle spasms, postural abnormalities)
but also to an abnormal processing of nociceptive inputs in the Central Nervous System
(CNS).
To test this hypothesis, we recorded scalp CO2 laser evoked potentials (LEPs) to foot skin stimulation in 11 pain-free treated PD
patients affected by hemiparkinson (during the off state), in 6 pain-free drug-naïve
hemiparkinsonian patients and in 11 healthy subjects. After each LEP recording, both
patients and controls were asked to rate pain due to laser stimuli.
In all subjects, CO2 laser stimulation gave rise to a main negative N2 potential followed by a positive
P2 response at vertex peaking at a latency of about 250 and 350 ms respectively which
are thought to originate from several brain structures devoted to nociceptive input
processing, including the cingulate gyrus and insula.
ANOVA showed that the N2/P2 amplitude was significantly lower and pain rating significantly
increased in treated PD patients than in controls in both the affected and unaffected
sides, while in drug-naïve PD patients the reduction of the N2/P2 amplitude and the
increase in pain rating were observed only in the affected side.
These results suggest that in pain-free PD patients there is an abnormal nociceptive
input processing that may be independent of the clinical expression of parkinsonian
motor signs.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
September 16,
2008
Received in revised form:
August 27,
2008
Received:
June 4,
2008
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 Elsevier B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
