TY - JOUR

T1 - Cognitive and Personality Profiles of Patients With Chronic Trigeminal Neuralgia

AU - Pashkov, Anton

AU - Filimonova, Elena

AU - Martirosyan, Azniv

AU - Moisak, Galina

AU - Rzaev, Jamil

PY - 2025/7

Y1 - 2025/7

N2 - Background: Patients suffering from chronic pain are known to exhibit distinctive personality traits and impaired neuropsychological performance across various cognitive domains. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive evidence regarding cognitive and behavioural functioning patterns in patients with trigeminal neuralgia. Methods: In this study, we aimed to thoroughly characterise a range of psychological and neuropsychological variables in a sample of 73 patients and 34 healthy controls, and to assess their relationship with pain intensity and duration. Results: Our findings revealed that patients with trigeminal pain scored significantly higher on measures of anxiety, depression, perceived stress, alexithymia, pain catastrophizing, harm avoidance and lower on the Self-transcendence subscale compared to healthy controls. Additionally, these patients demonstrated lower performance scores on tasks assessing working memory and verbal fluency. The regression model with Rey complex figure copy, backward digit span and perceived stress scores taken as predictors accounted for 32% of the pain intensity variance. Conclusions: These findings may provide valuable insights for the development of personalised treatment plans for patients with trigeminal neuralgia, specifically targeting their unique personality traits and cognitive impairments. Significance: Our work expands the current understanding of cognitive deficits and personality traits in patients with chronic facial pain. Furthermore, this study provides additional evidence that psychological and neuropsychological factors significantly contribute to the patients' perception of pain.

AB - Background: Patients suffering from chronic pain are known to exhibit distinctive personality traits and impaired neuropsychological performance across various cognitive domains. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive evidence regarding cognitive and behavioural functioning patterns in patients with trigeminal neuralgia. Methods: In this study, we aimed to thoroughly characterise a range of psychological and neuropsychological variables in a sample of 73 patients and 34 healthy controls, and to assess their relationship with pain intensity and duration. Results: Our findings revealed that patients with trigeminal pain scored significantly higher on measures of anxiety, depression, perceived stress, alexithymia, pain catastrophizing, harm avoidance and lower on the Self-transcendence subscale compared to healthy controls. Additionally, these patients demonstrated lower performance scores on tasks assessing working memory and verbal fluency. The regression model with Rey complex figure copy, backward digit span and perceived stress scores taken as predictors accounted for 32% of the pain intensity variance. Conclusions: These findings may provide valuable insights for the development of personalised treatment plans for patients with trigeminal neuralgia, specifically targeting their unique personality traits and cognitive impairments. Significance: Our work expands the current understanding of cognitive deficits and personality traits in patients with chronic facial pain. Furthermore, this study provides additional evidence that psychological and neuropsychological factors significantly contribute to the patients' perception of pain.

KW - chronic pain

KW - neuropsychology

KW - neurosurgery

KW - psychological assessment

KW - trigeminal neuralgia

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/ff2b02fd-d189-3ba2-b14f-691f696a0dcf/

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105007903051&origin=inward&txGid=272804e3bb1d7c90b24653baaf49367f

U2 - 10.1002/ejp.70054

DO - 10.1002/ejp.70054

M3 - Article

C2 - 40497414

VL - 29

JO - European Journal of Pain

JF - European Journal of Pain

SN - 1532-2149

IS - 6

M1 - e70054

ER -