Phenotypes of neuropathic pain

Abstract

Neuropathic pain (NeP) is caused by a direct damage or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. The aim of this study was to conduct an additional analysis of the database of patients with NeP to identify groups of patients with similar profiles of the sensory symptom and to determine the relationship between the presence and severity of these symptoms and the in tensity of pain, severity of sleep disorders, degree of limitations in daily activity, and severity of disorders in general physical health. Material and methods. Cluster and comparative analyses were performed of the database of patients with NeP (n = 6506). The database was obtained in a two-stage screening cohort study of patients who had sought out patient care of a neurologist. Results and discussion. The analysis using the K-means method provided 3 clusters of sensory symptoms not related with etiological causes of NeP. The phenotypes (clusters) differed in pain intensity, severity of sleep disorders, degree of decline in daily activity, and severity of disorders in general somatic health. Conclusions. In real clinical practice, the phenotypic stratification of NeP is important not only from the standpoint of the mechanism-based approach to its treat ment but also for predicting the intensity of pain and the degree of deterioration of the quality of life in a particular patient.