Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39695777›Full record

ArticleJournal of anesthesia, analgesia and critical care2024

Amitriptyline-perphenazine therapy for persistent idiopathic facial pain: translational perspectives from a retrospective study.

Maurizio Marchesini, Giulia Topi, Cesare Bonezzi, Laura Demartini

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Article in Journal of anesthesia, analgesia and critical care, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Maurizio MarchesiniDepartment of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Mater Olbia Hospital, Olbia, Italy.
Giulia TopiDepartment of Clinical-Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. giulia.topi01@universitadipavia.it.
Cesare BonezziPain Medicine Unit, Department of Mini-Invasive Surgery, IRCCS Maugeri, Pavia, Italy.
Laura DemartiniPain Medicine Unit, Department of Mini-Invasive Surgery, IRCCS Maugeri, Pavia, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPersistent idiopathic facial pain (PIFP) can be challenging, both in its diagnosis, which appears to be purely exclusionary, and in its treatment, which currently lacks a gold standard. Amitriptyline is considered a first-line therapy, although not always effective. Recent insights into the role of dopamine in facial pain suggest that a novel therapeutic approach could target the dopamine system.

methodsThis study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of treatment with amitriptyline-perphenazine association in patients with severe PIFP. Thirty-one patients were given a regimen dose of amitriptyline-perphenazine at dosages ranging between 10/2 and 20/4 mg and were then retrospectively analyzed. We evaluated the following outcomes, referred to the last week prior to follow-up visits: NRS score for pain intensity (minimum, maximum, and average), the number of attacks, and SF-36 questionnaire for quality of life. Comparisons were made between pre- and post-treatment.

resultsThirty-one patients over 35 were screened. At baseline, average NRS was 5 ± 0.93 (CI 95%: 4.6-5.3), and the median number of breakthrough episodes over last week was 5 ± 1.57 (CI 95%: 4-6) with a maximum NRS = 9 ± 0.89 (CI 95%: 8-9). After treatment, average NRS was 4.1 ± 0.93 (CI 95%: 3.8-4.5; p < 0.001), maximum NRS was 6.1 ± 1.60 (CI 95%: 5.5-6.6), and the median number of attacks was 4 ± 0.99 (IC 95%: 3-4) (p < 0.001). Regarding SF-36 questionnaire, the most improved parameters were quality of life related to pain (25.89 ± 12.48 vs 31.19 ± 13.44; p < 0.001) and physical function (69.56 ± 17.84 vs 84.17 ± 20.99; p < 0.001).

conclusionDespite limitations, the pain scores, the frequency of the attacks, and quality of life were found to be significantly improved after treatment. Although results are not broad based given the small sample size, the combination of amitriptyline and perphenazine may be an effective and well-tolerated treatment in patients with PIFP. It is abundantly clear that dopaminergic pathways play a key role in pain modulation, yet the underlying mechanisms have not been fully understood, requiring further investigation.

Indexed as

AmitriptylineChronic painDopamine D2 antagonistFacial painPerphenazine drug combinationReceptors

Identifiers

PMID39695777
PMCPMC11656548

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.