Outcomes and Predictors of Response to Pregabalin for the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain Following Neuroablative Procedures: A Retrospective Observational Study

Post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathic pain (PTNP) following trigeminal neuralgia (TN)-related neuroablative procedures is relatively rare. Due to the fear of debilitating complications, its treatment has been generally suboptimal. Pregabalin (PGB) has been reported to relieve neuropathic pain. However, the potential role of PGB and the predictors of response of PGB use as a strategy in the treatment of PTNP following TN-related neuroablative procedures have not been identified yet.To report the efficacy and safety of PGB and the identification of predictors of PGB for PTNP following TN-related neuroablative procedures.Monocentric, retrospective, observational study.This study consecutively enrolled patients with PTNP following TN-related neuroablative procedures who were prescribed PGB at Beijing Tiantan Hospital.From January 2018 to June 2022, a total of 112 patients were included in this study, of whom 10 were excluded because of incomplete follow-up data and side effects immediately after taking PGB. Final analysis included 102 patients. Demographic data, pain-related baseline data, efficacy of patients with PTNP after one month of PGB evaluated by the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) scores for pain, and side effects of PGB were extracted and analyzed. The predictors of pain-relieving effects of PGB were identified by logistic regression analysis.Within one month after the use of PGB alone, 29 out of the 102 (28.4%) patients achieved pain relief with a significant reduction in the BNI scores (P < 0.01). All of the 73 patients who did not respond to PGB monotherapy either switched to other medications (n = 8) or combined additional oral medications to the existing PGB therapy (n = 65). The main side effect of PGB in our study was dizziness. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that longer disease durations (Adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.55, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.43 to 0.72, P = 0.000) and higher Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores (Adjusted OR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.87, P = 0.022) were poor predictors of response to PGB.This was a retrospective observational study. Long-term efficacy and safety of PGB in the treatment of PTNP patients were not evaluated.This study confirms that PGB monotherapy is not a very effective treatment for PTNP following TN-related neuroablative procedures. PGB was more beneficial in patients with shorter disease durations and lower HADS scores.Post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathic pain, efficacy, safety, predictor of response, pregabalin.