Experimental Psychological Stress on Quantitative Sensory Testing Response in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorders

Author(s)

Araujo Oliveira Ferreira, Dyna Mara ^{[1, 2]} ; Costa, Yuri Martins ^{[2, 3]} ; de Quevedo, Henrique Muller ^{[1, 2]} ; Bonjardim, Leonardo Rigoldi ^{[2, 3]} ; Rodrigues Conti, Paulo Cesar ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Prosthodont, Bauru Sch Dent, Bauru - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Bauru Orofacial Pain Grp, Al Octavio Pinheiro Brisola 9-75, BR-17012901 Bauru - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Sect Head & Face Physiol, Dept Biol Sci, Bauru Sch Dent, Al Octavio Pinheiro Brisola 9-75, BR-17012901 Bauru - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF ORAL & FACIAL PAIN AND HEADACHE; v. 32, n. 4, p. 428-435, FAL 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

Aims: To assess the modulatory effects of experimental psychological stress on the somatosensory evaluation of myofascial temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients. Methods: A total of 20 women with myofascial TMD and 20 age-matched healthy women were assessed by means of a standardized battery of quantitative sensory testing. Cold detection threshold (CDT), warm detection threshold (WDT), cold pain threshold (CPT), heat pain threshold (HPT), mechanical pain threshold (MPT), wind-up ratio (WUR), and pressure pain threshold (PPT) were performed on the facial skin overlying the masseter muscle. The variables were measured in three sessions: before (baseline) and immediately after the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT) (stress) and then after a washout period of 20 to 30 minutes (poststress). Mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to the data, and the significance level was set at P = .050. Results: A significant main effect of the experimental session on all thermal tests was found (ANOVA: F > 4.10, P < .017), where detection tests presented an increase in thresholds in the poststress session compared to baseline (CDT, P = .012; WDT, P = .040) and pain thresholds were reduced in the stress (CPT, P < .001; HPT, P = .001) and poststress sessions (CPT, P = .005; HPT, P = .006) compared to baseline. In addition, a significant main effect of the study group on all mechanical tests (MPT, WUR, and PPT) was found (ANOVA: F > 4.65, P < .037), where TMD patients were more sensitive than healthy volunteers. Conclusion: Acute mental stress conditioning can modulate thermal sensitivity of the skin overlying the masseter in myofascial TMD patients and healthy volunteers. Therefore, psychological stress should be considered in order to perform an unbiased somatosensory assessment of TMD patients. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 15/09913-4 - The effect of cutaneous afferents in the mechanical somatosensory profile of masticatory myofascial pain.
• Grantee: Yuri Martins Costa
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral