J Orofac Pain
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To test the hypothesis that temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients have characteristic diurnal patterns of pain that are associated with diurnal or nocturnal parafunctions. ⋯ Strongly linear or curvilinear patterns of pain were not characteristic of this sample of subjects. More than half the subjects reported slightly increasing pain during the day, but the variability within groups was considerable. Increasing and decreasing patterns of pain were independent of self-reported daytime and nighttime clenching and grinding. Self-reported pain patterns may not be used to reliably infer the times when parafunctional activities occur. The presence of lower pain levels during the weekend probably reflects reduction in psychosocial stressors associated with the work week.
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To provide a snapshot of the scientific literature on orofacial pain. ⋯ This study complements subject reviews of orofacial pain research and provides a more complete picture of the research activity in this field.
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This topical review presents an overview of orofacial manifestations associated with the more common connective tissue diseases affecting multiple organs. The orofacial manifestations associated with these autoimmune disorders include oral mucosa alterations, salivary gland pathosis, sensory neuropathies, headaches, and temporomandibular disorders. ⋯ An understanding of the orofacial manifestations associated with these systemic diseases will enable the pain practitioner to establish an appropriate diagnosis within the context of the underlying systemic disease. This will allow the practitioner the opportunity to contribute and collaborate as a member of a multidisciplinary health-care team in the management of these systemic autoimmune diseases.
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To evaluate temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients for differences between masticatory muscle (MM) and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain patients in the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and evaluate the level of psychological dysfunction and its relationship to PTSD symptoms in these patients. ⋯ A somewhat elevated prevalence rate for PTSD symptomatology was found in the MM group compared to the TMJ group. Significant levels of psychological dysfunction appeared to be linked to TMD patients with PTSD symptoms.
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To evaluate the sensitivity and reproducibility of a multimodal psychophysical technique for the assessment of both spatial and temporal changes in somatosensory function after an infraorbital nerve block. ⋯ The present findings indicate that the psychophysical method is sufficiently reproducible, with no major differences between sessions in healthy subjects. All stimulus modalities demonstrated adequate sensitivity. Furthermore, measurement of points in 5 x 5 matrices allowed a spatial description of somatosensory sensitivity. This method may be valuable for studies on changes in somatosensory sensitivity following trauma or orthognathic surgery on the maxilla.