Trigeminal neuralgia
neuropathic disorder
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN or TGN), also called Fothergill disease, tic douloureux, or trifacial neuralgia, is a long-term pain disorder that affects the trigeminal nerve, the nerve responsible for sensation in the face and motor functions such as biting and chewing. It is a form of neuropathic pain. There are two main types: typical and atypical trigeminal neuralgia.
The typical form results in episodes of severe, sudden, shock-like pain in one side of the face that lasts for seconds to a few minutes. Groups of these episodes can occur over a few hours. The atypical form results in a constant burning pain that is less severe. Episodes may be triggered by any touch to the face. Both forms may occur in the same person. Pain from the disease has been linked to mental-health issues, especially depression.
The exact cause is unknown, but believed to involve loss of the myelin of the trigeminal nerve.
The public source identifies “Trigeminal neuralgia” as neuropathic disorder. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Trigeminal, neuralgia and neuropathic.
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This entry incorporates text from “Trigeminal neuralgia” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.