• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.139-146
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• 2011

Neuropathic pain is defined by "pain is initiated or caused by primary lesion or dysfunction in the nervous system" and several etiologic conditions can induce the neuropathic pains. Various groups of drugs are used to treat the neuropathic pains. Not depending on anecdotal case or habitual choice, to obtain the more effective pharmacotherapy, relative-comparison index is suggested through multiple analyses of clinical trials. Depending on relative-comparison index, first-line medications and second-line medications for neuropathic pain are recommended. To support the Quality of life in patients, selection of medication is made on such recommendations.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.274-280
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• 1999

A variety of mechanism may generate pain resulting from injury to the central and peripheral nervous system. None of these mechanism is disease-specific, and several different pain mechanism may be simultaneously present in anyone patient, independent of diagnosis. Diagnosis of neuropathic pain is often easily made from information gathered on neurologic examination and from patient history. Although treatment of neuropathic pain may be difficult, optimum treatment can be achieved if the neurologist has a complete understanding of therapeutic options, the mainstay of which is pharmacotherapy. Selection of an appropriate rharmacologic agent is by trial and error since individual responses to different agents, doses, and serum levels are highly variable. An adequate trial for each agent tried is key to pharmacologic treatment of neuropathic pain. Tricyclic antidepressants are first-line agents, although other drugs, including anticonvulsants, local anesthetic antiarrhythmics, clonidine, opiates, and certain topical agents, also offer pain relief in some patient populations. The novel antidepressants venlafaxine and nefazodone are potentially useful new drugs that are better tolerated than tricyclic antidepressants. Also Gabapentine seems an interesting and promising drug for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.45 no.12 s.463
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• pp.742-752
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• 2007

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.45 no.12 s.463
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• pp.728-732
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• 2007

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.197-205
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate the treatment pattern of patients with neuropathic pain (NeP) in Korea through computerized database of Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRAS) over three years' period from 2003 to 2005. The results showed that the numbers of treatment visits were the highest for diabetic neuropathy (DN), followed by postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) and trigeminal neuralgia (TN) in order. Top 3 specialties for treatment visits due to NeP conditions were neurology, neurosurgery and anesthesiology. While cost of a treatment visit was higher in anesthesiology and emergency clinics compared to other clinics, there was a tendency to increase costs for visits to clinics of rehabilitation medicine and family medicine over the three years. Cost of dental visits was relatively high for TN, atypical facial pain (AFP) and atypical odontalgia (AO). Surgeries frequently applied to patients with NeP were sympathetic plexus or ganglion block, block of peripheral branch of spinal nerve and cranial nerve or its peripheral branch block. Most common prescribed medication were anticonvulsants, anti-inflammatory analgesics and anti-psychotic drugs while anti-inflammatory analgesics were overwhelmingly frequently prescribed for AO and glossodynia. Based on the results of this study, NeP disorders more relevant to dentists were AO, TN and AFP, TN of which seems to be the most important in terms of patients' number and cost for treatment visits. This indicates that dentists, especially oral medicine specialists should actively participate in management of TN, AO and AFP and share relevant information with patients and community.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.353-374
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• 2008

The descriptive epidemiology of specific neuropathic pain disorders has not been well-des-cribed, although the burden of neuropathic pain is well recognized. The true incidence of neuro-pathic pain disorder is unknown, but it is believed to be under diagnosed and treated inade-quately, despite the development of various diagnostic system. The purpose of this study was to report the epidemiology of specific neuropathic pain as managed by all kinds of hospital in Korea. A descriptive analysis of the epidemiology of prevalent trigeminal neuralgia(TN)(n-=77,053 27,6%), atypical facial pain(AFP)(n=12,382 4.4%), glossopharyngeal neuralgia(GN)-(n=1,319 0.5%), post-herpetic neuralgia(PHN)-(n=84,598 30.3%), diabetic neuropathy(DN)-(n=85,989 30.8%), atypical odontalgia(AO)-(n=16,001 5.7%) and glossodynia(GD)(n=2,133 0.8%) and treatment departments and treatment durations from computerized Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service(HIRA) of Korea: January 2003 to December 2005, are reported with rates increasing over time for PHN and DN and decreasing for the other neuropathic pain disorders. Most patients were treated at private clinic record for 57.6-72.8% of patients except OA for 10.3%. The percentage of Dept of dentistry for outpatients was 3.2% for TN, 34.7% for AO and 15.4% for GD. Other neuropathic pain patients visited nearly medical clinic.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment outcome and prognosis of the patients with orofacial pain disorders who visited for treatment in the Department of Oral Medicine, Dankook University Dental Hospital from January 2002 to December 2004. Orofacial pain disorders were categorized into TMD(myogenous, arthrogenous and muscle-joint combined TMDs), neuropathic pain disorder, oral soft tissue disease and complex condition simultaneously having more and two aforementioned categories and treatment period, method and treatment outcome were evaluated. The results of this study were as follows; 1. Average longevity of treatment period was the longest in the neuropathic pain, followed by soft tissue disease, complex conditions, arthrogenous TMD, muscle-joint combined TMD and myogenous TMD in order. 2. When treatment methods were largely categorized into pharmacologic, physical and oral appliance therapy, pharmacologic therapy was used the most frequently for the patients with neuropathic pain or oral soft tissue diseases, oral appliance therapy for those with arthrogenous TMD and physical therapy for those with myogenous TMD. 3. Of physical therapeutic methods used in our clinic, EAST and microwave was employed the most frequently in the patients with myogenous TMD, ultrasound for those with arthogenous TMD and LLLT for those with neuropathic pain or oral soft tissue disease. 4. In comparison with change of pain after treatment, there existed a tendency that pain from neuropathic pain disorders persisted while pain from TMD was getting better or totally disappeared. 5. Concerning the change of mouth opening range in the TMD subgroups, there was no significant difference among the subgroups but significant difference existed among opening ranges, indicating comfortable maximum mouth opening increased the most following treatment. Improvement of active range of mouth opening was the most considerable in those with disc displacement without reduction. It can be said on the basis of the findings from this study that various treatments currently used for the orofacial pain showed good results with TMD in regards with pain control and improvement of function, suggestive of favorable prognosis, while neuropathic pain or soft tissue disease was the clinical conditions difficult to resolve, requiring a long and persistent treatment.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.286-294
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• 2010

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome(CRPS) is a chronic neruopathic pain syndrome, most frequently encountered after trauma, nerve injury, fracture, cerebral vascular accident(CVA), spinal injury, and surgery to a limb, and affected by diverse factors such as disease process, intervention method, and other biopsychosocial components. Occupational therapy as a multidisciplinary treatment approach may be potentially useful when simultaneously targeting such biological, psychological, and social components. Biological treatment can focus on increasing functional use of extremity for promoting independence. Psychological intervention can include relaxation/biofeedback training and cognitive-behavioral treatments, and social approach can focus on recreational therapy and vocational rehabilitation. Occupational therapy will encourage functional restoration, pain management, and regaining of psychological components with collaboration between different disciplines.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.215-219
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• 2013

The descending control system is composed of a group of structures in the midbrain, medulla oblongata and pons that form a network of descending inhibitory projections. In the clinical setting, it has been shown that the application of a electrical counterirritant to these structures and diminishes the pain in patients. Thus, depression and anxiety have been shown to predict the development of chronic neuropathic pain state. These factors could influence pain might also involve descending controls. Interestingly, reduced descending controls are seen in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and theses patients had greater anxiety, depression compared to controls. And, the influence of anxiety on the chronicity of pain and on the descending control pathways should be tested in animal models, using modern techniques. Given this Knowledge, it is no wonder that pain is a highly personal experience that is susceptible to a variety of biologic, pharmacologic, and environmental influences.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.316-320
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• 2011

Neuropathic orofacial pain (NOP) is initiated or caused by a priomary lesion or dysfunction in the peripheral nervous system or the central nervous system. NOP is divided into paroxysmal and continuous by duration of pain. NOP is important for dentists, because they can occur after dental procedures, such as extractions, endodontic treatment, and dental implant insertion. Dentists should have concern about NOP, because it is difficult to diagnose and treat.