dextromethorphan and Hyperesthesia

This report presents the findings from a psychophysical study of vibrotactile responses in a patient diagnosed with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). This patient unexpectedly reported pain due to innocuous vibrotactile stimulation, and this allodynia appeared to have a component of temporal summation. The pain response occurred not only in the region of the clinical pain (the face), but also on the volar forearm, where the patient reported no clinical pain. Administration of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist dextromethorphan (DM), but not vehicle, attenuated the vibration-induced pain at both sites.

Topics: Adult; Dextromethorphan; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; Facial Pain; Female; Forearm; Humans; Hyperesthesia; Psychophysics; Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome; Time Factors; Touch; Vibration