Open AccessChronic Facial Pain and Blood Serotonin: A Pilot Study
Author(s) -
Agius Adrian M.,
Muscsat Richard,
Jones Nick
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
otolaryngology–head and neck surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.232
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1097-6817
pISSN - 0194-5998
DOI - 10.1177/0194599811416318a246
Subject(s) - serotonergic , serotonin , medicine , chronic pain , trigeminal neuralgia , anesthesia , physical therapy , receptor
Objective To study whole blood serotonin levels in patients with chronic mid‐facial segmental pain and to compare with normal matched controls. Peripheral blood serotonin is stored almost exclusively in platelets, which reflect intra‐neuronal serotonin. In chronic facial pain, low intraneuronal serotonin may cause dysfunction of descending serotonergic inhibition of nociceptive pathways. Method Thirty patients with chronic tension‐type facial pain according to International Headache Society criteria and 30 matched controls were studied. Patients were symptomatic for at least 3 months, had normal nasoendoscopy, and had normal CT sinuses/brain. Other causes of pain, such as facial migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, or TMJ dysfunction, were excluded. Results Patients with chronic facial pain tended to have normal peripheral blood serotonin levels. There was no significant difference in serotonin levels between patients and controls. Conclusion This study does not provide evidence of serotonergic dysfunction in chronic tension‐type facial pain. Dysfunction of other inhibitory descending pathways, such as noradrenergic pathways, may play a significant role in the development of chronic tension‐type facial pain.