Korean J Anesthesiol.  2006 Feb;50(2):184-187. 10.4097/kjae.2006.50.2.184.

A Comparison of Personality Characteristics in Trigeminal Neuralgia and Atypical Facial Pain Using Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

• Cho HB
• Han KR
• Kim C
• Kim JS
• Kwon WI
• Cho SM

• KMID: 2237457
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2006.50.2.184

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Trigeminal neuralgia and atypical facial pain are representative disease entities of chronic facial pain. Most patients of these disaeses could be accompanied with psychological, emotional problems as their pain become chronic. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether different types of chronic facial pain lead to alteration in personality disorder or they are associated with particular characteristics of personality disorders using Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (MMPI).
METHODS
40 patients of trigeminal neuralgia and 21 patients of atypical facial pain who had responded MMPI were enrolled in this study. Two groups were compared for age, sex, pain intensity (Visual analogue scale, VAS), duration of pain, MMPI scores and psychological impression from MMPI results.
RESULTS
Pain intensity and chronicity were more severe and longer in trigeminal neuralgia group than atypical facial pain. However, some MMPI profiles such as hypochondriasis and hysteria were significantly elevated in atypical facial pain. Pain intensity and duration did not correlate with MMPI profiles in each group. Meaningful psychological impression from MMPI results which were interpreted by one psychologist were shown in 13 patients of trigeminal neuralgia (32.5%) and 14 patients of atypical facial pain (66.7%). Especially, psychosomatic disorder was most frequently found in atypical facial pain patients (47.6%).
CONCLUSIONS
Atypical facial pain have more psychologic and emotional problems than trigeminal neuralgia, regardless of pain intensity and chronicity. Therefore, psychologic evaluation and treatment should be considered in atypical facial pain.

Keyword

atypical facial pain; chronic pain; MMPI; psychological evaluation; trigeminal neuralgia

MeSH Terms

Chronic Pain
Facial Pain*
Humans
Hypochondriasis
Hysteria
Minnesota*
MMPI*
Personality Disorders
Psychology
Psychophysiologic Disorders
Trigeminal Neuralgia*