UNDERSTANDING THE HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE BURDEN IN TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW
Author(s)
Sunil Kumar, M. Pharm1, Pankaj Rai, MS Pharm1, Barinder Singh, RPh2;
1Pharmacoevidence, Mohali, India, 2Pharmacoevidence, London, United Kingdom
1Pharmacoevidence, Mohali, India, 2Pharmacoevidence, London, United Kingdom
OBJECTIVES: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of severe, paroxysmal facial pain in one or more trigeminal nerve divisions. While TN-related pain intensity is well addressed using validated instruments such as the Visual Analogue Scale, Brief Pain Inventory, and McGill Pain Questionnaire, its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remains underexplored. This systematic literature review (SLR) aimed to synthesize evidence on the HRQoL burden among patients with TN.
METHODS: Embase and Medline were searched from database inception to December 2025 to identify English language articles assessing the HRQoL burden among TN patients. The SLR was performed using the standard two review and quality control process.
RESULTS: Of 1,154 records screened, four cross-sectional studies were included. HRQoL measures used were the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP, n=2), a modified OHIP (n=1), and the Short Form-36 (SF-36; n=1). Based on the OHIP assessments, TN patients suggested worse HRQoL than general population, with higher scores across all versions (OHIP-49: 58.1 vs 7.6; OHIP-14: 18.2 vs 1.3; OHIP-5: 6.7 vs 0.8). Similar trends were observed using the modified OHIP (16.9 vs 1.1), confirming HRQoL impairment. A substantial functional and emotional burden was also observed using the OHIP-14 instrument, with high rates of speech difficulties (64.2%), dietary limitations (67.8%), depressive symptoms (73.5%), and meal skipping (56.6%), highlighting the multidimensional impact on daily and psychosocial functioning. In terms of SF-36, TN patients exhibited significantly lower mean scores across all eight domains compared with the general population, with role-physical (35.7 vs. 82.0) and role-emotional (32.9 vs. 79.2) being the most severely affected domains.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite limited evidence, TN patients were consistently associated with substantial impairment in HRQoL, encompassing significant functional, emotional, and psychosocial burden beyond pain alone, underscoring the need for comprehensive interventions that address both pain control and overall HRQoL outcomes.
METHODS: Embase and Medline were searched from database inception to December 2025 to identify English language articles assessing the HRQoL burden among TN patients. The SLR was performed using the standard two review and quality control process.
RESULTS: Of 1,154 records screened, four cross-sectional studies were included. HRQoL measures used were the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP, n=2), a modified OHIP (n=1), and the Short Form-36 (SF-36; n=1). Based on the OHIP assessments, TN patients suggested worse HRQoL than general population, with higher scores across all versions (OHIP-49: 58.1 vs 7.6; OHIP-14: 18.2 vs 1.3; OHIP-5: 6.7 vs 0.8). Similar trends were observed using the modified OHIP (16.9 vs 1.1), confirming HRQoL impairment. A substantial functional and emotional burden was also observed using the OHIP-14 instrument, with high rates of speech difficulties (64.2%), dietary limitations (67.8%), depressive symptoms (73.5%), and meal skipping (56.6%), highlighting the multidimensional impact on daily and psychosocial functioning. In terms of SF-36, TN patients exhibited significantly lower mean scores across all eight domains compared with the general population, with role-physical (35.7 vs. 82.0) and role-emotional (32.9 vs. 79.2) being the most severely affected domains.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite limited evidence, TN patients were consistently associated with substantial impairment in HRQoL, encompassing significant functional, emotional, and psychosocial burden beyond pain alone, underscoring the need for comprehensive interventions that address both pain control and overall HRQoL outcomes.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
PCR133
Topic
Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas, SDC: Neurological Disorders