Genetics of trigeminal neuralgia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Finding the Genes that Predispose to Trigeminal Neuralgia.
IRAS ID
150985
Contact name
Joanna M Zakrzewska
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCL Joint research office
Research summary
Trigeminal neuralgia is a rare unilateral episodic electric shock-like facial pain provoked by light touch. Currently managed by anti-epileptic medications but later by surgery. Many patients will have compression of the trigeminal nerve by a blood vessel close to the area where the nerve enters the brain and relieving this results in 70% of patients become pain free. Up to 15% of the population have compression of this nerve and yet very few go on to develop trigeminal neuralgia. This project begins with the presumption that the risk for developing classical (type 1) trigeminal neuralgia (TN1) is in large part determined genetically. If so, given the power of modern genetic analysis, it should be possible to identify the underlying gene(s). This is the central objective of the project. DNA will be collected from 500 TN1 patients in several centres. Analysis of the whole genome will be carried out on these patients and compared to matched reference controls to identify sequence variants that significantly segregate in TN1 patients. Such sequence variants might cause TN1 by directly affecting the function of the proteins that these genes encode, or by altering other aspects of gene expression. Either way, assuming that genetics indeed lies at the root of the problem, there is a high likelihood that the project will reveal the genes and ultimately the pathophysiological mechanisms involved. The knowledge we hope to obtain will constitute a major step towards a disease cure, and is also expected to have impact on the understanding of a variety of other facial and segmental neuropathic pain conditions.
REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0622
Date of REC Opinion
22 May 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion