# Hyperpathia

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{{Short description|Extreme perception of pain from normally painful stimuli}}

'''Hyperpathia''' is a [clinical symptom](/source/clinical_symptom) of certain [neurological](/source/neurology) disorders wherein [nociceptive stimuli](/source/nociception) evoke exaggerated levels of [pain](/source/pain). This should not be confused with [allodynia](/source/allodynia), where normally non-painful stimuli evoke pain.

==Mechanism==
Hyperpathia describes the [neuropathic pain](/source/neuropathic_pain) which the [pain threshold](/source/pain_threshold) on one hand is elevated and the other hand is central hyperexcited whenever there is a loss of fibres.{{clarify|date=January 2026}} Hyperpathia is underlying the peripheral or central deafferentation when the afferent inputs are lost.<ref>Jensen, T. S. (1996). Mechanisms of neuropathic pain. In J. N. Campbell (Ed.), Pain, 1996, an updated review. (pp. 77-86). Seattle: IASP Press</ref>  Hyperpathia only occurs on neuropathic pain patients with the loss of fibres.

The International Association of the Study of Pain's (IASP) definition of hyperpathia is that: ''A painful syndrome characterized by an abnormally painful reaction to a stimulus, ''especially a repetitive stimulus, as well as an increased threshold.'' The definition also complies with a note which is: ''It may occur with [allodynia](/source/allodynia), [hyperesthesia](/source/hyperesthesia), [hyperalgesia](/source/hyperalgesia), or [dysesthesia](/source/dysesthesia). Faulty identification and localization of the stimulus, delay, radiating sensation, and after-sensation may be present, and the pain is often explosive in character. The changes in this note are the specification of [allodynia](/source/allodynia) and the inclusion of [hyperalgesia](/source/hyperalgesia) explicitly. Previously [hyperalgesia](/source/hyperalgesia) was implied, since [hyperesthesia](/source/hyperesthesia) was mentioned in the previous note and [hyperalgesia](/source/hyperalgesia) is a special case of ''[hyperesthesia](/source/hyperesthesia)''.<ref>(I.A.S.P, 1986). Pain Supplement 3: Classification of Chronic Pain, Descriptions of Chronic Pain Syndromes and Definitions of Pain Terms. Amsterdam: Elsevier.</ref>

==References==
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{{Pain}}
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Category:Pain

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hyperpathia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperpathia) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperpathia?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.