J Orofac Pain
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To use the human blink reflex (BR) to explore possible neuropathic pain mechanisms in patients with atypical odontalgia (AO). ⋯ No major differences between the V nociceptive pathways on the right and left sides were found in a relatively small group of AO patients. Future studies that compare BRs in AO patients and healthy volunteers are needed to provide further knowledge on the pain mechanisms in AO.
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To examine whether catastrophizing is associated with clinical examination findings, pain-related activity interference, and health care use among patients with pain related to temporomandibular disorders (TMD). ⋯ TMD patients who catastrophize have higher scores on clinical examination measures reflecting more widely dispersed and severe pain upon palpation of TMD-related facial muscle and joint sites, as well as greater TMD-related activity interference and health care use. Clinicians should consider screening patients with moderate or greater TMD pain and activity interference for catastrophizing. Cognitive-behavioral interventions may help reduce pain, disability, and health care use of patients who catastrophize.
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To compare pressure pain threshold (PPT) values for masticatory muscles in patients with signs and symptoms of myofascial pain and in asymptomatic individuals. ⋯ The masseter and temporalis muscles require different pressures for distinguishing masticatory myofascial pain patients from asymptomatic individuals. Because the highest sensitivity (77%) and LR were found for the anterior temporalis, this muscle was considered to have the most suitable discriminative capacity.
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To determine whether there is a difference in terms of reliability between experienced examiners and inexperienced examiners in the measurement of signs of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). ⋯ Examiner calibration rather than professional experience seems to be the most important factor for reliable measurement of TMD symptoms.
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Occipital neuralgia is an extracranial pain that may be confused with other headaches. It can be attributed to multiple causes. The authors report the case of a 55-year-old woman suffering from right occipital neuralgia secondary to respiratory tract infection that began 6 days before the pain started. ⋯ A month later the patient appeared totally pain-free. The treatment was continued for 3 months, and the patient remained pain-free over a subsequent follow-up period of more than 6 months. Thus, in the case of occipital pain, a careful assessment of symptoms and a thorough history are necessary to obtain the correct diagnosis and to choose the appropriate treatment plan.