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Previous Volume 348:2688-2689 June 26, 2003 Number 26 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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To the Editor: Contrary to the conclusion drawn by Foley in the accompanying editorial (March 27 issue),¹ we believe that the excellent study by Rowbotham et al.² actually proves that central neuropathic pain is clinically unresponsive to oral opioids, even at high doses. Only 30 percent of the patients who had central pain after stroke or a focal brain lesion were able to complete the study, reporting only a 20 percent reduction in pain from base line. Other controlled studies support this assumption. In two studies of patients with central pain, morphine (18 mg given intravenously) was found to be . . . [Full Text of this Article]

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Eisenberg, E., McNicol, E. D., Carr, D. B. (2005). Efficacy and Safety of Opioid Agonists in the Treatment of Neuropathic Pain of Nonmalignant Origin: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. JAMA 293: 3043-3052 [Abstract] [Full Text]