Efficacy of baclofen in trigeminal neuralgia and some other painful conditions. A clinical trial.
Baclofen (beta-4-chlorophenyl-gamma-aminobutyric acid) shows analgesic properties in rats and resembles carbamazepine and phenytoin in its effects on the spinal trigeminal nucleus of cats. We have, therefore, conducted a clinical trial in 25 subjects, 16 suffering from trigeminal neuralgia, and 9 patients were affected by different painful conditions such as postherpetic neuralgia, tabes dorsalis, postarachnoid radiculitis. 5 of the former groups were refractory to or unable to tolerate carbamazepine. Baclofen has significantly exhibited analgesic efficacy: all groups, as a whole, were improved by 68.61%. These results substantiate that baclofen is useful in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and other painful conditions.
D000328:Adult; D000672:Amputation Stumps; D001418:Baclofen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000188:drug therapy; D013373:Substance P / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D013606:Tabes Dorsalis / Q000188:drug therapy; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy*
D013373:Substance P; D002220:Carbamazepine; D010672:Phenytoin; D001418:Baclofen