Central pain syndrome is a neurological disorder caused by damage to the central nervous system (CNS). Common symptoms include pain and loss of sensation, usually in the face, arms and/or legs. Pain is often constant and can be mild, moderate, or severe in intensity. Affected individuals may become hypersensitive to painful stimuli. The specific type of pain experience can vary from one individual to another based, in part, upon the underlying cause of the disorder and the area of the central nervous system affected. Central pain syndrome can potentially disrupt an individual's daily routine. In severe cases, the pain can be agonizing and unrelenting and dramatically affect a person's quality of life. Central pain syndrome can develop following a variety of conditions including stroke, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, or brain tumors.

For years, it was believed that the majority of cases of central pain syndrome were due to damage of the thalamus most often caused by a stroke. The disorder was frequently referred to as thalamic pain syndrome or Dejerine-Roussy syndrome after two French neurologists who reported on the disorder in the early 1900s. In fact, to some degree central pain became synonymous with thalamic pain syndrome for many years. However, researchers now know that damage to other areas of the CNS can cause central pain syndrome, including cases following a stroke. Consequently, the preferred name for this group of disorders is central pain syndrome to acknowledge that damage to various areas of the CNS (and not predominantly the thalamus) can cause central pain and that a stroke is not necessarily the primary cause. The preferred term for the specific subtype of central pain syndrome caused by CNS damage due to a stroke is central post-stroke pain.

When a stroke leads to Pain due to damage in these areas, people are said to suffer from the Dejerine-Roussy syndrome. The syndrome is also sometimes called thalamic Pain syndrome, or central Pain syndrome (CPS).

• Symptoms can be brought on by any vascular lesion or condition affecting the slow or fast fibres that transport Pain in the central somatosensory system.
• Although the majority of central post-stroke Pain is preceded by an ischemic event, the Pain can also occur following a hemorrhagic stroke, which can be either an intracerebral or subarachnoid haemorrhage.

The symptoms of Dejerine-Roussy syndrome include the following:1

• Unexplained Pain coming from one side of the body
• An abnormal sensation of Pain to a normal stimulus, such as a gentle stroke over the skin
• Tingling feelings from one side of the body
• Feelings of excessive weight on one side of the body
• Abnormal feelings of hot or cold on one side of the body
• Sometimes, the syndrome is accompanied by weakness in the face, arm, and/or leg on one side of the body, which begins shortly after the stroke.
• This weakness normally goes away over time, but the rest of the symptoms can be permanent.

Symptoms
Tingling Pain in one side of the body, usually seen after a stroke event
Conditions
Unexplained Pain coming from one side of the body,Abnormal sensation of Pain to a normal stimulus
Drugs
Anticonvulsants,Analgesic medications such as ibuprofen,In severe cases morphine and methadone are given

When a stroke leads to pain due to damage in these areas, people are said to suffer from the Dejerine-Roussy syndrome. The syndrome is also sometimes called thalamic pain syndrome, or central pain syndrome (CPS).

• These symptoms can be brought on by any vascular lesion or condition affecting the slow or fast fibres that transport pain in the central somatosensory system.
• Although the majority of central post-stroke pain is preceded by an ischemic event, the pain can also occur following a hemorrhagic stroke, which can be either an intracerebral or subarachnoid haemorrhage.
• Because the pattern of arrangement of fibres to the face, arm, trunk, and leg is mediolateral, in the ventral posterior nucleus of the thalamus, intracerebral bleeding may occur before central post-stroke discomfort in the legs.
• Although patients with central post-stroke pain are more likely to have acute strokes and greater lesions, there are no distinguishing features on computed tomography (CT) brain scans of these patients.
• Patients with this syndrome's brains have undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Symptoms
Tingling pain in one side of the body, usually seen after a stroke event
Conditions
Unexplained pain coming from one side of the body,Abnormal sensation of pain to a normal stimulus
Drugs
Anticonvulsants,Analgesic medications such as ibuprofen,In severe cases morphine and methadone are given

Central post-stroke pain (CPSP), also known as Dejerine–Roussy syndrome, presents as painful paresthesia in any part of the body that is usually coupled with sensory abnormalities.

• Available treatments for the Dejerine-Roussy syndrome include antidepressants, which usually are cheap, safe and effective; anticonvulsants; and analgesic medications such as ibuprofen.
• In severe cases, people are given strong pain medicines such as morphine and methadone.
• Some people even benefit from wearing a device such as a morphine pump.
• Finding the right medication regimen can take time.
• Surgical options also exist but neurosurgery should be the absolute last resort.
• Surgery includes deep brain stimulation, in which an electrode is implanted and sends stimulation to the pain receptors.
• Deep brain stimulation is used to decrease a person's perception of pain.

It is important to find the right doctor.

• Some patients find a good match on their first neurologist visit.
• Others have to go through many appointments before finding the one who understands their pain and begins exploring various possible treatments.

Symptoms
Tingling pain in one side of the body, usually seen after a stroke event
Conditions
Unexplained pain coming from one side of the body,Abnormal sensation of pain to a normal stimulus
Drugs
Anticonvulsants,Analgesic medications such as ibuprofen,In severe cases morphine and methadone are given

When a stroke leads to pain due to damage in these areas, people are said to suffer from the Dejerine-Roussy syndrome. The syndrome is also sometimes called thalamic pain syndrome, or central pain syndrome (CPS).

• Although the majority of central post-stroke pain is preceded by an ischemic event, the pain can also occur following a hemorrhagic stroke, which can be either an intracerebral or subarachnoid haemorrhage.
• Because the pattern of arrangement of fibres to the face, arm, trunk, and leg is mediolateral, in the ventral posterior nucleus of the thalamus, intracerebral bleeding may occur before central post-stroke discomfort in the legs.
• Although patients with central post-stroke pain are more likely to have acute strokes and greater lesions, there are no distinguishing features on computed tomography (CT) brain scans of these patients.
• Patients with this syndrome's brains have undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• Men and women are equally affected; there is no age predisposition, but old age people suffer from low pain tolerance is much affected because of this treatment.
• The disease has a high rate of recurrence in stress and lifestyle-induced conditions like hypertension.

Symptoms
Tingling pain in one side of the body, usually seen after a stroke event
Conditions
Unexplained pain coming from one side of the body,Abnormal sensation of pain to a normal stimulus
Drugs
Anticonvulsants,Analgesic medications such as ibuprofen,In severe cases morphine and methadone are given