Trigeminal neuralgia was the focus of a recent workshop convened by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). The workshop brought together basic scientists, clinicians, epidemiologists, and patient advocates. New research directions for epidemiology, diagnosis and assessment, pain mechanisms, and treatment were identified. (The workshop was held in Rockville MD on September 14, 1999, with financial support from NINDS, NIDCR, the NIH Office of Rare Diseases, and the NIH Pain Research Consortium.)