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Background: Chronic systemic inflammation has been proposed as the underlying mechanism of pain chronicity in several pain conditions. In spite of the growing evidence supporting the role of systemic inflammatory markers as a diagnostic tool, their role has not been analyzed in a well-defined group of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) patients until now. This study aimed to investigate the association between various clinical features and comorbidity levels of TMD in relation to hematological markers and seek its association with long-term treatment response. Methods: Clinical features and hematological indices including those for systemic inflammation were assessed in TMD patients (n = 154). Examinations were re-done after 6 months of conservative treatment. Patients were divided into pain improved and unimproved groups based on ≥ 2 numeric rating scale improvement in pain intensity at 6 months for final analysis. Results: The portion of patients with low lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (p = 0.026), total protein (p = 0.014), hemoglobin (p = 0.040), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (p = 0.042) values showed significant differences according to prognosis groups. Low hemoglobin levels were significantly associated with unfavorable response to long-term treatment (β = 1.706, p = 0.018). High pre-treatment pain intensity (β=-0.682, p < 0.001) and low Graded Chronic Pain Scale (β = 1.620, p = 0.002) could predict significant pain improvement with long-term treatment. Conclusions: Hematologic assessment could be considered in addition to clinical examination to better determine long-term prognosis in TMD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical activity is known to influence the symptoms of a variety of pain disorders including fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis although the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. In spite of the high prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD), no previous study has objectively evaluated the relationship between TMD and general physical activity. This study aims to investigate the influence of physical activity on pain and disability from TMD, considering various confounders including sleep, systemic inflammation, psychosocial disturbances, and widespread pain. Methods: This observational cross-sectional study is based on consecutive samples of 100 TMD patients (22 with high pain disability and 78 with low pain disability level). Physical activity levels were assessed with actigraph. Level of pain and disability were evaluated using the Graded Chronic Pain Scale. Hematologic examinations including inflammatory biomarkers were assessed and comorbidities were investigated with validated questionnaires. Differences were analyzed according to disability level. Results: Patients with high disability level spent significantly more time doing both moderate (p = 0.033) and vigorous (p = 0.039) level physical activity. Light physical activity, on the other hand, was associated with low disability but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Time spent in light physical activity was significantly associated with high levels of pain and disability (p = 0.026, β = −0.001) and time spent in vigorous physical activity had significant predictive power (cutoff value 2.5 min per week, AUC 0.643, p = 0.041). Scores of the Jaw Function Limitation Score-20 (p = 0.001), present McGill Pain Score (p = 0.010), and number of people potentially diagnosed with fibromyalgia (p = 0.033) were significantly higher in the high disability group. Conclusions: Moderate or vigorous physical activity is associated with worse TMD symptoms while light physical activity may be beneficial. Further research related to the amount and frequency of physical activity is necessary to establish clinical guidelines for TMD. Trial registration: clinical trial registration of the Clinical Research Information Service of Republic of Korea (number KCT0007107). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study examined the generational-gender distinctions in Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular disorders (DC/TMD) subtypes among East Asian patients. Methods: Consecutive "first-visit" TMD patients presenting at two university-based TMD/orofacial pain clinics in China and South Korea were enlisted. Demographic information along with symptom history was gathered and clinical examinations were performed according to the DC/TMD methodology. Axis I physical diagnoses were rendered with the DC/TMD algorithms and categorized into painful and non-painful TMDs. Patients were categorized into three birth cohorts, specifically Gen X, Y, and Z (born 1965–1980, 1981–1999, and 2000–2012 respectively) and the two genders. Data were evaluated using Chi-square/Kruskal-Wallis plus post-hoc tests and logistic regression analyses (α = 0.05). Results: Gen X, Y, and Z formed 17.2%, 62.1%, and 20.7% of the 1717 eligible patients examined (mean age 29.7 ± 10.6 years; 75.7% women). Significant differences in prevalences of arthralgia, myalgia, headache (Gen X ≥ Y > Z), and disc displacements (Gen Z > Y > X) were observed among the three generations. Gen Z had substantially fewer pain-related and more intra-articular conditions than the other generations. Women presented a significantly greater frequency of degenerative joint disease and number of intra-articular conditions than men. After controlling for generation-gender interactions, multivariate analyses showed that "being Gen X" and female increased the risk of painful TMDs (OR = 2.20) and reduced the odds of non-painful TMDs (OR = 0.46). Conclusions: Generational-gender diversities in DC/TMD subtypes exist and are important for guiding TMD care and future research endeavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is a disease characterized by pain and dysfunction of the masticatory muscles and temporomandibular joint. Many factors have been found to be related to the disease however, the underlying mechanism is yet to be fully elucidated. Physical activity is widely known to modulate pain intensity in various pain disorders. However, literature suggesting the association between physical activity and signs and symptoms of TMD are limited. Methods and design: The "Physical Activity in TMD (PAT)" is a prospective study on TMD patients that aims to determine how daily physical activity and sleep duration affect long-term TMD prognosis following conventional treatment. To analyze such effects, objective data on daily physical activity levels will be collected along with clinical indices including mouth opening ranges and masticatory muscle palpation responses from adult Koreans diagnosed with TMD following standardized diagnostic procedures. Well-known comorbidities of TMD will be extensively evaluated based on validated structured questionnaires on sleep quality, fatigue level, widespread pain, psychological status including depression and anxiety, autonomic symptoms, and health-related quality of life. The collected data will be analyzed according to TMD pain severity and physical activity level, and correlations among physical activity indices and long-term TMD prognosis will be investigated. Discussion: In this longitudinal prospective study of adult Koreans diagnosed with TMD following standardized diagnostic procedures, primary outcomes include physical activity levels and long-term TMD clinical outcomes and secondary outcomes include disability from pain and related comorbidity levels. Results and analysis are ongoing. The results of this study will provide reliable data for future research and establish clinical guidelines that will allow cause-related, patient-tailored personalized medicine for TMD. Trial registration: Clinical Research Information Service (Registration number: KCT0007107). Registered March 22 2022 https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/detailSearch.do?search_lang=E&focus=reset_12&search_page=M&pageSize=10&page=undefined&seq=21420&status=5&seq_group=21420. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While evidence is accumulating to propose a specific contribution of sleep disorders and low quality sleep in the pathogenesis of temporomandibular disorders (TMD), management of primary sleep disorders in the process of preventing and treating TMD still remains scientifically unsupported. Objective: To investigate the association of primary sleep disorders with TMD risk in South Korea. Patients and Methods: This study was based on the National Health Insurance Service-National Health Screening Cohort (NHIS-HEALS) of South Korea with 468,882 participants. After excluding participants diagnosed in 2002, those with a diagnosis of a primary sleep disorder in 2003– 2005 were recruited. All participants diagnosed with TMD between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2013 received follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to determine the adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for TMD according to the presence or absence of a primary sleep disorder diagnosis. Results: After adjusting for all covariates, primary sleep disorder patients had a 44% higher risk for TMD compared with non-sleep disorder participants (aHR 1.44, 95% CI 1.02– 2.04). The incidence rate of TMD was nearly twice as high in participants with sleep disorders compared with those without (6.08 vs 3.27, per 104 person-years). In subgroup analysis, an association was observed with those over 60 years old or who frequently exercised physically. Conclusion: Primary sleep disorders could be an important independent risk factor for the initiation and maintenance of TMD. Patients with sleep disorders should be monitored for possible co-occurrence of TMD-related symptoms that could aggravate sleep disorders in turn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between general physical activity level and TMD pain in Koreans in a large‐scale national database established through a nationwide survey. Methods: Data from the Fourth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES IV), which was conducted from 2007 to 2009, were analysed. In total, 16 941 participants were included in this cross‐sectional study. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, TMD‐related variables, and general physical activity level were collected. Participants were divided into moderate‐ and low‐intensity exercise groups according to their physical activity levels. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed, adjusting for sociodemographic and other covariates. Results: The adjusted odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval; CI) for TMD pain was 1.373 (1.017‐1.854) for people doing moderate‐intensity exercises and 0.797 (0.629‐1.008) among people doing low‐intensity exercises. Those who did moderate‐intensity exercises had significantly more TMD pain. This was higher in the 30‐ to 39‐year age group (OR: 1.991, 95% CI: 1.137‐3.488), with significantly higher risk for TMD pain in those who did moderate‐intensity exercise, whereas low‐intensity exercise significantly decreased the risk for TMD pain in the same age group (OR: 0.625, 95% CI: 0.409‐0.958). Conclusions: Moderate‐intensity physical activity is associated with more TMD pain. Patients with TMD should avoid high‐intensity level exercises and continue low‐intensity exercises to prevent pain aggravation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]