Identification of Possible Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorUniversity College, London

About this trial

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a severe type of non-dental orofacial pain that can feel like sudden electric shocks in the face and is often mistaken for tooth pain or other dental problems. This can lead to delays in referral and unnecessary, sometimes irreversible, dental treatment. The goal of this observational study is to evaluate how well a new questionnaire (IDentification of possible Trigeminal Neuralgia - IDTN) identifies adults with possible trigeminal neuralgia among patients attending hospital clinics with orofacial pain, with the aim of supporting its use in dental and general medical practice to improve early recognition and referral.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

* How accurately does the IDTN questionnaire identify patients with possible trigeminal neuralgia compared with the specialist clinical diagnosis? * Which combination of questionnaire items best supports a practical screening score for use in dental and/or general medical practice?

Participants will:

1. Complete the IDTN questionnaire before their clinical appointment (either electronically or on paper) 2. Undergo their usual specialist clinical assessment, during which the final diagnosis will be recorded 3. Allow the research team to compare questionnaire responses with the specialist diagnosis (the reference standard)

A subset of participants will also be asked to complete the questionnaire again a few days later to assess test-retest reliability.

Eligibility criteria

Qualifiers

Adults aged 18 years or older

Attending the UCLH Facial Pain Service or Oral Surgery Clinic for their first appointment for facial or oral pain following referral from primary care

Disqualifiers

Not experiencing facial or oral pain

Unable to understand English well enough to complete the questionnaire

Lacking capacity to provide informed consent

Insufficient time before their appointment to read the information sheet, provide consent, and complete the questionnaire

Trial design

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Completion of the IDTN Questionnaire

Treatment groups

250 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment group

Sponsors and collaborators

University College, London

Lead sponsor

British Pain Society

Collaborator