Psychological Characteristics Such as Depression, Independent from a Known Genetic Risk Factor, Increase the Risk of Developing Temporomandibular Disorder Pain
Article Title and Bibliographic Information
Influence of psychological factors on risk of temporomandibular disorders.
Slade GD, Diatchenko L, Bhalang K, Sigurdsson A, Fillingim RB, Belfer I, et al.
J Dent Res 2007;86(11):1120-5.
Level of Evidence
Level 1 (Good quality, patient-oriented evidence)
Strength of Recommendation Grade
Grade B (Inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence)
Purpose/Question
The authors aimed to answer 4 questions:
1.Is sensitivity to standardized noxious stimuli (perceived usually as painful) predictive of TMD risk?
2.What psychological characteristics are associated with pain sensitivity?
3.Are those same psychological characteristics predictive of TMD risk?
4.Is the magnitude of TMD risk associated with those psychological factors attenuated after adjustment for variants of the gene encoding COMT?
Source of Funding
Multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health, US Government.
Type of Study/Design
Small Cohort Study
Assistant Professor, Dental Public Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
ABSTRACT