J Orofac Pain
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Comparative Study
Pain intensity, illness duration, and protein catabolism in temporomandibular disorder patients with chronic muscle pain.
To investigate whether the duration of chronic pain in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients is associated with a net depletion of amino acids, and a distinct process from pain intensity. ⋯ In TMD1A patients, total amino acid excretion was positively correlated with pain intensity and negatively correlated with illness duration, which indicated that illness duration was associated with a different set of metabolic anomalies compared with those identified for pain intensity.
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To investigate the course of myofascial pain defined by Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) over a period of 5 years, and to identify prognostic factors from baseline data. ⋯ Muscle disorders classified by RDC/TMD are predominantly chronic or fluctuating pain conditions, with a modest probability (31%) of remission.
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Comparative Study
Pressure pain threshold of the posterior aspect of the temporomandibular joint measured with a semi-spherical probe.
To develop and test a probe for measurement of the pressure pain threshold (PPT) over the posterior aspect of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in healthy individuals, including determination of PPT levels, reliability, and the smallest detectable difference (SDD) between measurements. ⋯ The semi-spherical probe shows similar reliability and relative SDD for measurement of PPT levels over the posterior aspect of the TMJ in healthy individuals as measurement over the lateral aspect with a flat probe. Measurement of the posterior PPT with a semi-spherical probe may be a useful adjunct to conventional lateral PPT measurements.
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To analyze predictors of bruxism, other oral parafunctions, and tooth wear in a group of subjects who had been examined 20 years earlier. ⋯ Oral parafunctions in childhood may be a persistent trait in many subjects. Postnormal occlusion and tooth wear in childhood predicted increased anterior tooth wear 20 years later, whereas nonworking-side interference reduced the risk for such wear in 35-year-old subjects.
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To compare jaw-stretch reflex responses in male and female subjects and to determine whether injection of glutamate into the masseter muscle facilitates these responses in both sexes. ⋯ These results suggest that there is a significant sex-related difference in human jaw-stretch reflex responses and their modulation by painful stimuli. Since one possible function of facilitated jaw-stretch reflex responses during jaw muscle pain may be to reduce jaw mobility and thus protect against further exacerbation of an existing injury, the finding of a sex-related difference in modulation of jaw-stretch reflex responses may prove to be important in clarifying why the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders is greater in women than in men.