Autonomic Dysfunction and Psychosomatic Condition in Patients With Trigeminal Neuralgia

Abstract

The study included 78 patients suffering from severe pain caused by damage to one of the branches of the trigeminal nerve. The average age of the participants was 47.6 ± 23.8 years, and the duration of the disease was 5.9 ± 3.2 years. Of these, 63 patients (81%) were women, and 15 (19%) were men. The study revealed signs of vegetative imbalance and impaired autonomic reactivity. The activation of trophotropic adaptation mechanisms, as well as the increased influence of higher levels of regulation on the vegetative supply of the body, is a destabilizing factor that requires additional efforts from the body to maintain optimal vegetative balance. Since the state of the autonomic nervous system has a significant impact on the intensity and nature of pain in trigeminal neuralgia, the results of the study confirm that increased sympathetic regulation contributes to the exacerbation of pain, which, in turn, triggers a cascade of psychosomatic disorders, creating a vicious circle of pain in this disease.