sensopathie

Sensopathie is a term used in some European medical and psychological literature to describe disorders of sensory perception or the neural processing of sensory information. The exact meaning varies by author; some use it for peripheral sensory disturbances that change sensation thresholds, others for central processing abnormalities where normal stimuli are misinterpreted.

Clinical features commonly attributed to sensopathie include hypersensitivity to touch, sound, or light; altered pain perception such as allodynia or hyperalgesia; paresthesias and dysesthesias; and sometimes phantom or illusory sensations. It is not universally recognized as a distinct diagnostic category.

Etiology is diverse and includes peripheral nerve injury, spinal or brain lesions, central sensitization, neuroinflammation, metabolic disorders, and trauma. Because of this heterogeneity, sensopathie is usually described as a descriptive label rather than a single pathophysiology.

Diagnosis relies on patient history and neurologic examination, with attention to symmetry, localization, and evolution of symptoms. Objective tests such as quantitative sensory testing or neurophysiological studies may support assessment, while imaging is typically used to exclude other causes.

Management is multidisciplinary and individualized, targeting underlying conditions and symptoms. Strategies may include medications for neuropathic pain, sensory integration or occupational therapy, cognitive-behavioral approaches, and environmental adaptations. Prognosis varies with cause and treatment response, and research is ongoing into standardizing the term.