Neuropsychological and behavioral profiles of patients with chronic trigeminal neuralgia

Abstract 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 behavioral functioning patterns in patients with trigeminal neuralgia. In this study, we aimed to thoroughly characterize a range of psychological and neuropsychological variables in a sample of 80 patients and 34 healthy controls, and to assess their relationship with pain intensity and duration. 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 Self-transcendence subscale compared to healthy controls. Additionally, these patients demonstrated lower performance scores on tasks assessing working memory and verbal fluency. These findings may provide valuable insights for the development of personalized treatment plans for patients with trigeminal neuralgia, specifically targeting their unique personality traits and cognitive impairments.