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Gabapentin [1-(aminomethyl) cyclohexane acetic acid] is a structural analog of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which was initially introduced in 1994 as an antiepileptic drug (AED), particularly for partial seizures. For a long time, AEDs such as carbamazepine have been recognized as adjunctive drugs for treating certain symptoms of chronic pain syndromes. It is then not surprising that gabapentin was soon found to be promising in treating neuropathic pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN)(1, 2), postpoliomyelitis neuropathy (3), and reflex sympathetic dystrophy (4). Placebo-controlled clinical trials also have indicated a role of gabapentin in treating pain related to diabetic neuropathy (DNP)(5) and PHN (6).

A number of animal studies have investigated the effect of gabapentin on signs of neuropathic pain, such as hyperalgesia and allodynia. Data derived from these studies are generally in agreement with …