title: Central poststroke pain: a population-based study.
abstract: Central poststroke pain (CPSP) is a specific pain condition arising as a direct consequence of a cerebrovascular lesion. There is limited knowledge about the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of this often neglected but important consequence of stroke. In this population-based study, a questionnaire was sent out to all (n=964) stroke patients identified through the Danish National Indicator Project Stroke Database in Aarhus County, Denmark, between March 2004 and February 2005. All surviving patients who fulfilled 4 questionnaire criteria for possible CPSP (n=51) were selected for further clinical examination, and their pain was classified by using stringent and well-defined criteria and a detailed, standardized clinical examination. The minimum prevalence of definite or probable CPSP in this population is 7.3% and the prevalence of CPSP-like dysesthesia or pain is 8.6%. Pinprick hyperalgesia was present in 57%, cold allodynia in 40%, and brush-evoked dysesthesia in 51% of patients with CPSP. Because of its negative impact on quality of life and rehabilitation, pain is an important symptom to assess in stroke survivors.
authors.affiliation: Danish Pain Research Center, Aarhus University Hospital, Norrebrogade 44, Building 1A, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Norrebrogade 44, Building 10, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Henriette
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Klit
authors.forename: Nanna Brix
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Finnerup
authors.forename: Grethe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Troels Staehelin
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Jensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018672:Community Health Planning; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires