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Correspondence to Author:  Mayur Mayabhate, 

Head of Medical Affairs Department, Alkem Laboratories Ltd, Mumbai 400013.

DOI: 10.52338/conr.2024.4240

Abstract:

Background and Objective Neuropathic pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system is a common chronic pain condition with major impact on quality of life. Objective of the present analysis is to investigate the comorbidities and pharmacological management practices employed in patients with neuropathic pain in India. Methods: A retrospective, multi-centric, cross-sectional, observational study enrolled 9,481 patients. Using medical records of the patients, clinical parameters such as diagnosis, symptom type and severity, patient demographics, and comorbid conditions were collected. Chi-square tests, and independent and paired samples t-tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: A significant proportion (41%) of the patients had diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The burning sensation was the most commonly reported symptom (68.5%), followed by shooting pain (45.7%) and paraesthesia (26.6%). Anxiety (28.3%) and depression (27.8%) were the most common psychological comorbidities. Combination therapy of drugs was prescribed in 61.8% of patients, while 38.5% received monotherapy. Reduction in pain score from 7.15 to 4.16 (55%) was observed post-treatment. Patients without comorbid conditions experienced a greater pain reduction compared to those with comorbidities (66% vs 53.5%, p = 0.001). Conclusion: The study identified diabetic peripheral neuropathy as the leading cause of neuropathic pain in India, with a high prevalence of psychological disorders among affected patients. While existing pharmacological management approaches have demonstrated effectiveness by significantly reducing pain scores, there is a need for improved pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies, or a combination of both, to enhance outcomes further.

Citation:

Mayur Mayabhate. Analysis of Comorbid Conditions and Drug Utilization Patterns in Neuropathic Pain in India (The NEUTRON study). Clinics of Neurology 2024.