Regulation of the expression of peripheral benzodiazepine receptors and their endogenous ligands during rat sciatic nerve degeneration and regeneration: a role for PBR in neurosteroidogenesis

This study addresses (1) the relationship between headache presence/intensity at time of testing and neurocognitive performance, and (2) the probability that testing triggers or intensifies pain. Subjects were 125 patients with chronic posttraumatic headache (mean = 2.67 years post injury) who completed a 4-hour test battery emphasizing memory. Comparisons of 34 individual tests/subtests and the five Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) indices of relative memory impairment for 73 patients with no headache or mild headache versus 52 patients with moderate to severe pain revealed no significant differences. Testing intensified existing headaches for 55% but triggered headache for only 1 of 20 (5%; P =.00003). Results support the validity of neuropsychological test performance regardless of pain level, although testing can be painful.