title: Health-related quality of life and its predictive role for analgesic effect in patients with painful polyneuropathy.
abstract: Painful polyneuropathy is a common neuropathic pain condition. The present study describes health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a sample of patients with painful polyneuropathy of different origin and the possible predictive role of HRQL for analgesic effect. Ninety-three patients with a diagnosis of painful polyneuropathy were included in the analysis. Data were obtained from three randomised, placebo-controlled cross-over studies testing the effect of different drugs on polyneuropathic pain (St. John's wort, venlafaxine/imipramine and valproic acid). Patients completed a HRQL questionnaire (SF-36) after a drug-free baseline period and at the end of each treatment period. At baseline, all eight SF-36 scores were lower than in the normal population. No significant differences were found between SF-36 scales during placebo and treatment with valproic acid and St. John's wort. Those two drugs had not shown a pain relieving effect in former analysis. The SF-36 scale of bodily pain (BP) was improved by venlafaxine treatment (p=0.023). General health (GH) and vitality (VT) were improved under treatment with imipramine (GH: p=0.006, VT: p=0.015). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, baseline SF-36 scores predicted subsequent response to pharmacological treatment. Results show an impaired HRQL in painful polyneuropathy and suggest that HRQL may predict response to analgesic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark. maritotto@dadlnet.dk
authors.forename: Marit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.forename: Flemming W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: Troels S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Søren H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Sindrup
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000698:Analgesia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D020902:Hypericum; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects; D010148:Intractable Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D010919:Placebos; D011115:Polyneuropathies / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D003511:Cyclohexanols; D010919:Placebos; D014635:Valproic Acid; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride