Characteristics and prevalence of orofacial pain as an initial symptom of oral and oropharyngeal cancer and its impact on the patient's functionality and quality of life.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of orofacial pain in oral and oropharyngeal cancer (OOC), at diagnosis.

Material And Methods: a) Study group (SG; n = 74) patients with cancer were divided into 2 subgroups: oral cancer (OC) and oropharyngeal cancer (OPC); b) control group (CG; n = 74) patients within dental care.

Study Design: An Orofacial Pain Assessment, verbal descriptive scale, Helkimo dysfunction index, Quality of Life questionnaire, and Karnofsky performance status (KPS) was used for evaluation.

Effectiveness of Laser Therapy and Laser Acupuncture on Treating Paraesthesia After Extraction of Lower Third Molars.

This randomized clinical trial evaluated the sensitive return of the lower alveolar nerve (LAN) using two photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) techniques, after the extraction of lower third molars or implant surgery. Sixty participants with sensory impairment of LAN were randomly divided into three groups ( = 20): group C-systemic medication (control-ETNA, 01 capsule, 8/8 h, 30 days); group laser therapy (LT) (808 nm, 100 mW, 40 sec/point, 4 J/point, intra/extraoral, irradiation following nerve path); group laser acupuncture (LA) (same parameters as the LT group, applied at six acupuncture points on the affected side (ST 4 [Dicang], M-HN-18 [Jiachengjiang], CV 24 [Chengjiang], ST 5 [Daying], ST 6 [Jiache], and point A1 [YNSA]). The following evaluations were performed, at predetermined times: general perception of paresthesia, thermal perception, vibratory mechanical perception, two-point discrimination, pain perception, and tactile perception.

Sensory characteristics according to chronic diseases and chronic pain in adults: cross-sectional study.

 To investigate somatosensory, gustative and olfactory characteristics of subjects according to their chronic diseases and the presence of chronic pain complaints.  A total of 254 chronic pain patients and 52 healthy subjects were evaluated with a clinical and sensory systematized evaluation. Statistical analysis consisted of Fisher's exact, Student's t-tests, Pearson's co-efficient and multivariate nonlinear/logistic regressions.

Increased Anxiety-Like Behavior in the Acute Phase of a Preclinical Model of Periodontal Disease.

Periodontal disease (PD) is an infectious-inflammatory oral disease that is highly prevalent among adolescence and adulthood and can lead to chronic orofacial pain and be associated with anxiety, stress and depression. This study aimed to identify anxiety-like behaviors in the ligature-induced murine preclinical model of PD in different phases of the disease (i.e.

Association between craniofacial pain complaints, somatoform symptoms and chronic diseases.

Objective: This case-control study aimed to investigate associations between craniofacial pain complaints, somatoform symptoms and chronic diseases.

Design: 306 subjects were included in this study (174 patients and 132 healthy subjects). The evaluation consisted of demographic data, number of functional and nonfunctional chronic diseases, medications, somatoform symptoms (xerostomia, dry mucosa, numbness, gastrointestinal complaints), and pain complaints with associated characteristics (number of pain areas, sensation of tired face, bruxism, sleep disturbances, masticatory musculoskeletal evaluation).

Balloon compression vs radiofrequency for primary trigeminal neuralgia: a randomized, controlled trial.

Surgical procedures are necessary in up to 50% of trigeminal neuralgia patients. Although radiofrequency (RF) is more widely used, it is associated with high intraprocedural costs and long technical learning time. Other simpler procedures such as balloon compression (BC) require a lower training period and have significant lower costs.

Chronic facial pain: different comorbidities and characteristics between neuropathic and nonneuropathic conditions.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between comorbidities and chronic diseases and neuropathic and nonneuropathic orofacial pain diagnoses to suggest subclassifications of disease.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional, retrospective, case-control study. We evaluated 174 patients with orofacial pain and 132 controls by using a systematic protocol that consisted of medical history and demographic, pain, and orofacial characteristics.

Chronic pain, somatic unexplained complaints and multimorbidity: A mutimorbidity painful syndrome?

Introduction: Chronic illnesses are a major research challenge due to its implications in aging and quality of life of adults and elders, and it can be associated with chronic illnesses and other complaints. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of morbidities (chronic diseases with or without somatic unexplained symptoms) and somatic unexplained complaints in a hypothetical model of a multimorbidity painful syndrome. Our hypothesis is that chronic pain should be considered part of a syndrome that includes other chronic diseases and pathological states, especially conditions with somatic unexplained symptoms, and fibromyalgia is one of the evidence on that.

Insular and anterior cingulate cortex deep stimulation for central neuropathic pain: Disassembling the percept of pain.

Objective: To compare the analgesic effects of stimulation of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) or the posterior superior insula (PSI) against sham deep (d) repetitive (r) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in patients with central neuropathic pain (CNP) after stroke or spinal cord injury in a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled, 3-arm parallel study.

Methods: Participants were randomly allocated into the active PSI-rTMS, ACC-rTMS, sham-PSI-rTMS, or sham-ACC-rTMS arms. Stimulations were performed for 12 weeks, and a comprehensive clinical and pain assessment, psychophysics, and cortical excitability measurements were performed at baseline and during treatment.

Existential Meaning of Patients with Chronic Facial Pain.

Coping strategies are necessary to deal with pain, one of the most disabling conditions. Treatments are often refractory, and the elaboration of existential meaning is necessary to live with residual pain. The objective of this study was to discuss the relevance of the meaning of life in coping with refractory chronic neuropathic facial pain according to singular cases.

Acupuncture treatment for idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: A longitudinal case-control double blinded study.

Objective: To evaluate the treatment effect of acupuncture on patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) by case-control longitudinal blinded study.

Methods: Sixty ITN patients and 30 healthy subjects were included. The ITN patients were randomly assigned to acupuncture group (15 cases), sham-acupuncture group (15 cases) and carbamazepine group (30 cases), respectively.

Post-operative orofacial pain, temporomandibular dysfunction and trigeminal sensitivity after recent pterional craniotomy: preliminary study.

Background: Surgical trauma at the temporalis muscle is a potential cause of post-craniotomy headache and temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of pain, masticatory dysfunction and trigeminal somatosensory abnormalities in patients who acquired aneurysms following pterional craniotomy.

Methods: Fifteen patients were evaluated before and after the surgical procedure by a trained dentist.

Effects of localized versus widespread TMD pain on sleep parameters in patients with bruxism: A single-night polysomnographic study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the presence of concomitant widespread pain could influence the polysomnographic characteristics of patients with Sleep Bruxism(SB) and chronic masticatory muscle pain(TMD).

Methods: 20 SB/TMD patients (17 women and 3 men) were evaluated according to the RDC/TMD questionnaire; and were divided into two groups according to the absence (Group A) or presence (Group B) of widespread pain. They were evaluated in a one night polysomnography paradigm.

Influence of Sexual Hormones on Neural Orofacial Perception.

Objective: To investigate the trigeminal somatosensory (thermal, pain, tactile, vibratory, and electric), gustative (salty, bitter, sweet, sour), and olfactory thresholds in healthy women during the menstrual cycle and investigate any association with estradiol and progesterone levels in saliva.

Methods: We examined/tested 39 women between age 19 and 47 years and with regular menstrual cycles and no comorbidities. All women were informed about the purposes of the study, and only those who signed the informed consent were included.

Sensory abnormalities and masticatory function after microvascular decompression or balloon compression for trigeminal neuralgia compared with carbamazepine and healthy controls.

Object: Idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (iTN) is a neurological condition treated with pharmacotherapy or neurosurgery. There is a lack of comparative papers regarding the outcomes of neurosurgery in patients with iTN. The objective of this study was to investigate sensory thresholds and masticatory function in 78 patients with iTN who underwent microvascular decompression (MVD) or balloon compression (BC), and compare these treatments with carbamazepine and 30 untreated healthy controls.

Functional and sensory evaluation of patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia: comparison with controls.

Background: Idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) can be associated with orofacial and sensory comorbidities.

Objective: To evaluate the masticatory functional and sensory characteristics of patients with ITN compared with controls.

Methods: We enrolled 119 patients and 30 healthy controls.

Somatosensory investigation of patients with orofacial pain compared with controls.

The objective of this study was to investigate the sensorial characteristics of orofacial pain in patients compared with control subjects. A total of 336 subjects (282 patients and 54 control subjects) were evaluated to identify their thermal (cold and warm), tactile, and pain thresholds. Numbness was reported by 61.

Oral infections and orofacial pain in Alzheimer's disease: a case-control study.

Background: Dental infections are frequent and have recently been implicated as a possible risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite a lack of studies investigating orofacial pain in this patient group, dental conditions are known to be a potential cause of pain and to affect quality of life and disease progression.

Objectives: To evaluate oral status, mandibular function and orofacial pain in patients with mild AD versus healthy subjects matched for age and gender.

Spirituality of chronic orofacial pain patients: case-control study.

The objective of this study was to investigate spirituality and blood parameters associated with stress in patients with facial musculoskeletal pain. Twenty-four women with chronic facial musculoskeletal pain (CFMP) and 24 healthy women were evaluated with a protocol for orofacial characteristics, research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders and the Spiritual Perspective Scale. Blood samples were collected to analyze blood count, cortisol, ACTH, C3, C4, thyroid hormones, total immunoglobulin, C-reactive protein and rheumatoid factor.

Prevalence of headache and orofacial pain in adults and elders in a Brazilian community: an epidemiological study.

Background And Objective: Headache and orofacial pain are often persistent and not easy to be evaluated. The objective of this study was to investigate the epidemiology of headache and orofacial pain in Brazilian adults and elders in a district of São Paulo (Brazil).

Study Design: population-based cross-sectional; Adults (18-59 years old) and elderly people (above 60 years old) were evaluated according to their socio-demographic characteristics, prevalence and location of pain and associated factors.

Orofacial pain and sensory characteristics of chronic patients compared with controls.

Objectives: To investigate orofacial and sensorial characteristics of patients with orofacial pain and healthy controls.

Study Design: Case-control. Seventy-five patients (61 women) who had chronic orofacial pain for more than 6 months (i.

Quantitative sensory testing in trigeminal traumatic neuropathic pain and persistent idiopathic facial pain.

The objective of this article was to investigate, with a systematic protocol of quantitative sensory testing, patients with persistent idiopathic facial pain (PIFP) and others with trigeminal traumatic neuropathic pain (TTN) compared to controls. Thirty patients with PIFP, 19 with TTN, and 30 controls were evaluated on subjective numbness and dysesthesia and with a systematic protocol of quantitative sensory testing for thermal evaluation (cold and warm), mechanical detection (touch and pinpricks for mechanical pain), superficial pain thresholds, and corneal reflex. We found that PIFP and TTN had numbness and dysesthesia higher than controls (p<0.

Quantitative sensory testing in fibromyalgia and hemisensory syndrome: comparison with controls.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FS) is a chronic painful condition with sensory, motor and affective dysfunctions. Few studies had investigated the trigeminal area, and little is known about its association with hemisensory syndrome, which is characterized by chronic pain restricted to hemibody. Our objective was to investigate sensorial abnormalities with quantitative sensory testing of patients with FS and patients with hemisensory syndrome, compared to controls.