J Orofac Pain
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To determine whether sex differences exist in tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) and the hemoglobin (Hb) oxygenation state of the resting human masseter muscle. ⋯ These results provide evidence that a sex difference in the Hb oxygenation state may exist in the masseter muscle of normal healthy subjects.
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To determine (1) the prevalence of aural symptoms in orofacial pain patients and (2) a potential association between temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and aural health, while controlling for covariates known to be associated with TMD or auditory dysfunction. ⋯ These findings indicate that TMD is significantly correlated to aural health, although no cause-and-effect relationship has yet been demonstrated. Aural symptoms were also found to have a measurable impact on the subjects' quality of life.
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Comparative Study
The influence of experimentally induced osteoarthrosis on articular nerve fibers of the sheep temporomandibular joint.
To study the effect of experimentally induced osteoarthrosis, or non-inflammatory degenerative changes, on the innervation of the sheep temporomandibular joint (TMJ) through the use of indirect immunohistochemistry and image analysis quantification. ⋯ This study suggests that while inflammatory arthritis has a marked influence on the density of sensory and autonomic nerve fibers in synovium in a variety of joints in different species, experimentally induced non-inflammatory osteoarthrosis in the sheep TMJ also leads to a depletion of the density of nerve fibers in the capsule, especially in the lateral part of the joint. Further work is required to determine whether other parts of the joint, such as synovium and marrow, respond differently to experimentally induced osteoarthrosis.
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To investigate and compare absolute pressure-pain threshold (PPT) levels and ratios between craniofacial test and reference sites during consecutive PPT recordings, as well as over a 6-month period, in healthy individuals. This study also investigated PPT differences between genders and the clinical usefulness of different reference sites in the craniofacial region. ⋯ This study shows that absolute PPT levels in healthy individuals change significantly during consecutive PPT recordings, as well as over a 6-month period; this limits the usefulness of such measurements. This study also shows that the use of relative PPTs with the FRO as a reference site is useful, both for comparison between groups and for longitudinal studies.
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To determine potential differences in predictive models of acute temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients divided into groups based on the physiologic characteristics of their TMD. ⋯ The factors that predict which acute TMD patients are most likely to seek additional treatment vary depending on the physiologic basis of their TMD. This suggests that acute TMD patients may benefit from different modalities of treatment, depending on the type of TMD with which they present.