Nondermatomal Somatosensory Deficits (NDSDs) in Patients With Chronic Pain Disorder - Clinical Findings and Hypometabolic Pattern in PET

We examined 90 consecutive patients with unilaterally accentiated chronic pain and ipsilateral NDSDs with herribody disstribution. In 11 patients functional neuroimaging (18-fluorleoxyglucose posilron emission immography = FDG-PET) was carried out (see PAIN 2000; 1.15:252-258).Conventional imaging procedures (brain CT or MRI seans) showed no structural changes. However, FDG-PET showed a significant hypometabolic pattern of changes in cortical and subcortical areas, mainly in the postcentral gyrus, posterior insula, purainen, and anterior cingulate cortex. The analysis of the gyrus, posterior insula, purainen and anterior cingulate cortex. The analysis of the sociodemographic data and clinical history revealed that pain-associated NDSDs were regularly associated with a history of adverse life events, depression, and insomnia. The following contribution presents further elaborations and discussions of our study. Nonderntorial scanalosensory deficits with chronic pain disorder. Clinical findings and hypometabolic pattern in FDG-PET, published in Pain 2009; 145:252-258.