Journal of oral rehabilitation
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This paper describes the modulation of human deliberately unilateral mastication by trigeminal and extra-trigeminal standardized painful stimuli. Series with 15 s of gum-chewing before induction of pain, during pain and after pain were quantitatively assessed by jaw-closing muscle electromyography (EMG) and kinematics of the lower jaw. Four different painful stimuli were used: cold stimulation of the frontal region, cold stimulation of the dominant hand, capsaicin stimulation of the hard palate, and pressure pain stimulation of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). ⋯ Cold stimulation of the hand and palatal capsaicin stimulation caused significant increases in peak amplitudes of EMG bursts from all jaw-closing muscles and faster jaw movements whereas TMJ pressure pain produced significantly lower peak EMG amplitudes. The present results suggest that nociceptive input from different tissues and even extra-trigeminal regions may modulate trigeminal motor function in selective ways. Thus, clinical observations of changes in masticatory function may not always be due to pain in the orofacial region and therefore do not necessitate orofacial treatment.