Chronic pain is common in mitochondrial disease

Mitochondrial diseases are genetic disorders caused by mutations in the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes that cause dysfunction of oxidative phosphorylation and affect approximately 1 in 5,000 people in the UK [1]. Curative treatments are currently lacking and management is largely based on symptomatic therapies and maximizing quality of life [2,3]. Pain has been reported in series of patients with mitochondrial disease, related to myopathy [4], neuropathy [5] and headache [6]. However, the prevalence, severity, impact on the quality of life and the genetic predisposition of chronic pain in this population is not fully known.

Source: Neuromuscular Disorders - February 28, 2020 Category: Neurology Authors: Jelle van den Ameele, Joshua Fuge, Robert D.S. Pitceathly, Sarah Berry, Zoe McIntyre, Michael G. Hanna, Michael Lee, Patrick F. Chinnery Source Type: research