Standardizing pain outcomes in functional neurosurgery trials.
Tracking therapeutic response to pain interventions (e.g., MVD, neuroablation).
Determining candidacy for invasive pain procedures based on severity stratification.
Patient Population
Originally developed for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) but has been applied to post-herpetic neuralgia, cluster headache, and other neuropathic pain syndromes.
Section 2
Formula & Logic
Scoring Scale
Grade 1
Mild: Occasionally present, does not interfere with daily function
Grade 2
Moderate: Frequently present, minimal interference with function
Grade 3
Severe: Constant/nearly constant, significant interference with function
Grade 4
Incapacitating: Constant pain preventing all normal activities
Section 3
Pearls/Pitfalls
Functional Over Numerical
Unlike numeric pain scales (0-10 VAS), the BNI score emphasizes the functional impact of pain rather than pure subjective severity.
Section 4
Literature
Barrow Neurological Institute
Developed by the Barrow Neurological Institute (Phoenix, Arizona) for standardized pain assessment in functional neurosurgery.
Section 5
Evidence Appraisal
Primary Reference
Gamma Knife thalamotomy for chronic pain: experience in 159 patients
Young RF et al. • J Neurosurg. 2002;97(3 Suppl):347-351
