Facial Thermography in Twin Children: A Study on Anxiety During Dental Treatment

• Grant number: 24/19165-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: October 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Human Development Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Emma Otta
• Grantee: Pedro Alves Sironi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psicologia (IP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/02107-6 - The University of São Paulo twin panel: research on twins' behavior, health, and well-being, AP.TEM

Abstract

This project is linked to the Thematic Project "Painel USP de Gêmeos: Pesquisa sobre Comportamento Saúde e Bem-Estar de Gêmeos", Processo FAPESP nº 2022/02107-6, and more specifically to Subproject P5, focused on the study of twin children's development. The student will work within the context of a partnership between the USP Twin Panel, based at the Institute of Psychology at USP (under the coordination of Professor Emma Otta), and the Fetal Medicine Department at the USP Hospital das Clínicas (Professor Maria de Lourdes Brizot) and Pediatric Dentistry at the Faculty of Dentistry at USP (Professor Michel Crosato). This partnership is already underway with data collection integrated with dental treatment and follow-ups every six months for children born at HCFMUSP who are currently between 7 and 14 years old. The objectives are to assess the reaction to a potentially anxiety-inducing environment (dental appointments) in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin children through the longitudinal monitoring of the development of children whose mothers were attended during pregnancy by the Obstetrics Department team and who gave birth at the HC of FMUSP. We will analyze the reaction to the dental environment using facial temperature data based on (i) zygosity, (ii) age, and (iii) sex. Facial thermography data will be colected at two time points: before and during each dental treatment session. The Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDASf) and the Brazilian validated zygosity test will also be used.