Central pain processing in "drug-naïve" pain-free patients with Parkinson's disease.

Our findings suggest that a functional remodulation of pain processing pathways occurs even in the absence of clinically overt pain symptoms in dnPD patients. These mechanisms may eventually become dysfunctional over time, contributing to the emergence of pain symptoms in more advanced PD stages. The comprehension of pain-related mechanisms may improve the clinical approach and therapeutic management of this disabling nonmotor symptom.