Objective: To present the characteristics of four different types of pain in Parkinson`s disease (PD) patients.

Background: Neurodegeneration can cause a nociceptive disturbances at many levels. Pain is a common nonmotor symptom in Parkinson`s disease patients at different stages of the disease. Pain can be also neuropathic (radicular). In some patient it can be more severe by night. Pain can affect the quality of life.

Method: 30 patients with Parkinson’s disease 20 men and 10 women at the age from 56-72 years were included in the study. Patients were hospitalized in the movement disorders department by university neurology clinic in skopje, Republic of North Macedonia. Than they were followed in the period of two years from 2017-2019 and control was made on every two months. Electromiography (EMG) was performed and also neuropsychological tests were made. Detailed anamnestic data were taken and detailed neurological examination was made.

Results: 12 (40%) of the 30 PD patients had pain. 5 of them had muskuloskeletal pain, 3 had neuropathic pain, 1 had central pain and 3 had psychogenic pain. Pain was not associated with the disease stage and duration. Patients with musculoskeletal pain had pain in the bones and muscles of the upper and more pronounced of low extremities. Neuropatic pain was located in the legs and the patients reported numbness and paresthesias and in one patient sense of burning in the booth feet. EMG in this patients showed signs of lesion in the peripheral motor neuron. Central pain in one patient was located on the left side of the body. Psychogenic pain in 3 patients was on different parts of the body. Standard dopaminergic medications had only partial effect in the improvement from the pain.

Conclusion: Pain is common non motor symptom in PD patients not always responding well to therapy and can be disabeling and can have an impact on quality of life.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/types-of-pain-in-parkinsons-disease-patients/