[Neuropathic pain in the elderly].
Neuropathic pain is characterized by a heavier intensity and a longer duration than in non-neuropathic chronic pain. Its frequency is estimated around 9% of the population aged 65 years and over. Diabetes, shingles, cancer, surgery, radiculopathies or stroke are frequent in elderly and may lead to neuropathic pain. It's treatment is a real challenge in elderly. Beside the difficulties of pain evaluation and choice of a therapeutic strategy, intercurrent diseases associated with aging and polymedication require a complex drug treatment. The leading role of cognition, emotion, physical activity for autonomy preservation, and the dynamic interaction between these domains in the old, oldest old and most fragile persons, imply that any pharmacological treatment must be integrated into a non-pharmacological approach. However, very few studies has been specifically devoted to neuropathic pain in elderly. Epidemiological studies and controlled clinical trials are necessary to optimize pain treatment and could result in polymodal therapeutic strategies, which until now only are evidence-based or intuitively developed.
Centre de Pharmacologie Clinique, Inserm CIC 501, CHU de Clermont-Ferrand, France. gisele.pickering@u-clermont1.fr
Gisèle
G
Pickering
Françoise
F
Capriz-Ribière
D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology