As reported in an article published in the January issue of Nutrition Research, a sixteen weeklong study conducted by Professor Wendy Dahl and Melissa Moreno of the University of Florida, found it is feasible for a daily supplement of lipids, using extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to improve some quality-of-life aspects for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) patients. The sixteen weeklong open label study compared a group of 25 women with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) who added 60ml of EVOO daily to their normal diet to a control group of 24 women with TN that did not make any changes in their diets.

Participants completed a daily questionnaire on pain intensity and compliance, the Penn Facial Pain Scale (Penn-FPS) weekly and the 36-Item Short Form Survey monthly. The EVOO group, with 90% intake compliance, showed significant decreases in the measures of, pain interference with general function, pain interference with orofacial function, and severity of least pain compared to the control group. This table shows the changes in Penn­FPS components of pain data.

Previous research by Dr Lucia Notterpek in Experimental Neurology indicated that a lipid­enriched diet improves myelination and alleviates peripheral nerve pathology in neuropathic mice. It was this earlier animal research that provided the stimulus to try the lipid supplementation approach used in this pilot human trial. This pilot study, while not conclusive, provides some indication that the diet supplementation approach may be beneficial to TN patients and warrants further evaluation. Dr Notterpek research has now shifted to development of a drug that will be more efficacious than a dietary approach in providing the lipids needed to support myelin function.

The Facial Pain Research Foundation supplied funding for both research studies.

The Facial Pain Research Foundation does not recommend medical treatments or provide medical advice.

Link to article: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2024.01.005