Predicting the outcome of a physical medicine treatment for temporomandibular disorder patients.

Aims: To investigate whether any of the pretreatment physical signs, symptoms, and responses on psychological questionnaires would predict treatment outcomes after a standardized temporomandibular disorder (TMD) treatment program.

Methods: The care provided to 157 TMD patients was a short course of physical therapy, an occlusal appliance, and over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (OTC NSAIDs). A multidimensional outcome assessment was performed using six variables.

Psychosocial predictors of cardiac rehabilitation quality-of-life outcomes.

Objective: This study investigated hostility, social support, coping, depression, and their contributions to concurrent and posttreatment quality of life (QoL) among a group of patients participating in a 6-week cardiac rehabilitation program.

Method: Both direct and mediational relationships among psychosocial factors, QoL baseline, and QoL outcome were examined using structural equation modeling analysis, while age, education, and severity of illness (risk for future event) were controlled.

Results: The final model was well supported (chi(2)=64.

Independent and mediated contributions of personality, coping, social support, and depressive symptoms to physical functioning outcome among patients in cardiac rehabilitation.

This study examined the direct and mediated contributions of psychosocial variables to posttreatment physical functioning among 142 patients receiving cardiac rehabilitation. Two models were proposed and tested. In the first model, psychosocial factors were correlated and made to predict baseline and 6-week physical functioning.

Psychological distress and diagnostic subgroups of temporomandibular disorder patients.

This study examined the nature and extent of psychological differences among diagnostic subgroups of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients. Three subgroups were identified and labeled as: (1) primary myalgia, (2) primary temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems, or (3) combination myalgia and TMJ problems. Patients' (n = 112) levels of pain and distress were measured using a VAS pain scale, the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Scale and the MMPI.

MMPI changes following behavioral treatment of chronic low back pain.

A large sample of patients with chronic low back pain were studied on admission to a behaviorally oriented in-patient pain program, at program completion, and at 1 month follow-up. Cluster analysis of admissions MMPI scores were used to identify 4 patient subgroups each for males and females. There were no subgroup differences found on any of the admissions demographic, pain report, or physical function measures, or differential treatment outcome based on subgroup.