PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Akira Kudoh
AU  - Hironori Ishihara
AU  - Akitomo Matsuki
TI  - Current Perception Thresholds and Postoperative Pain in Schizophrenic Patients
AID  - 10.1053/rapm.2000.7617
DP  - 2000 Sep 01
TA  - Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine
PG  - 475--479
VI  - 25
IP  - 5
4099  - http://rapm.bmj.com/content/25/5/475.short
4100  - http://rapm.bmj.com/content/25/5/475.full
SO  - Reg Anesth Pain Med2000 Sep 01; 25
AB  - Background and Objectives Schizophrenic patients may have less sensitivity to pain; however, pain insensitivity in schizophrenia has not been adequately evaluated. We investigated current perception threshold (CPT) and postoperative pain intensity in patients with long-standing and treated schizophrenia and control patients.Methods We measured CPTs for 2,000 Hz, 250 Hz, and 5 Hz and postoperative pain intensity using a visual analogue scale (VAS) in 50 chronic schizophrenic patients who were on chronic phenothiazine derivatives (> 10 years) and for 25 control patients.Results CPTs for 2,000 Hz, 250 Hz, and 5 Hz in schizophrenic patients were 334.2 ± 112.2, 303.9 ± 117.1, and 165.0 ± 72.3, respectively. CPTs for 2,000 Hz, 250 Hz, and 5 Hz in schizophrenic patients were significantly higher than those of control patients. VAS pain scores of schizophrenic patients were 4.0 ± 1.7 at 2 hours post-operatively and 3.8 ± 1.5 at 5 hours postoperatively, which were significantly (P < .05) lower than those (5.0 ± 1.6 and 5.1 ± 1.9) of the control group.Conclusions Chronic schizophrenic patients have increased current perception threshold and lower VAS pain scores in postoperative pain compared with control patients.