--comes from a very different mechanism than peripheral neuropathy: namely damage to the spinothalamic tracts in the brain, or in the realted higher cortical centers connected to them. It is most common in stroke patients, but is certainly prevalent in MS (this is what Montel Williams has), subacute combined degeneration from B12 deficiency, HIV infection, encephalomyelitis, and a number of other conditions (the site www.centralpain.org had a good summary of the condition and the possible etiologies).

It is true that in many cases Central Pain can be confused with widespread, diffuse peripheral neuropathies, especially those that come on acutely or subacutely, as the effective burning pain symptoms are quite similar. There are a few aspects that tend to distinguish a central etiology, such as the phenomenon of temporal summation--nerve pain is not produced in its full intensity immediately upon touch, but tends to grow over seconds to a great intensity and then more slowly subside.

It's possible from some conditions to have both central pain damage and peripheral neuropathy (B12 deficiency comes to mind, as do some toxic exposures).

Central pain as defined here should not be confused with the equally painful central sensitization, caused when long-term undertreated pain causes trophic changes in neurons such that they over-react to normally non-painful stimuli.