Origin Of Inherited Pain Disorder Pinpointed

... The genetic basis for a rare inherited disorder that causes severe burning pain with no warning has been pinpointed by researchers. They found that paroxysmal extreme pain disorder (PEPD) is caused by specific mutations in porelike sodium channels in peripheral nerve cells -- a discovery that they said emphasizes the role of such channel disorders in inflammatory pain. Such findings of abnormal function in disease also provide insights into the normal function of such channels, they said. ...