European journal of neurology : the official journal of the European Federation of Neurological Societies
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Levetiracetam in patients with central neuropathic post-stroke pain--a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is a severe chronic neuropathic pain condition defined as a spontaneous pain or allodynia corresponding to a vascular lesion. It usually evolves weeks after stroke, and can distinctively impair the quality of life. Treatment is complex and mostly unsatisfactory. We hypothesized that the anti-epileptic drug levetiracetam (LEV) improves CPSP compared with placebo. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and tolerability of LEV in patients with CPSP. ⋯ LEV is not effective in treatment for CPSP. The mode of action of LEV does not exert an analgesic effect in chronic CPSP.