The substance P and dopamine plasma levels in posttraumatic stress disorder patients with masticatory muscle pain

Chronic masticatory muscles pain is a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for the dentists and general medicine practitioners. The causes and the exact mechanism of the pain development are not completely understood. It is well known that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients suffer from chronic muscle pain but we haven't sufficient treatment yet. The aims of the study were to determinate plasma levels of substance P and dopamine in PTSD patients with muscle pain, and to analyzed their rule in pathogenesis of muscle pain. Methods: The study included 65 subjects with chronic PTSD (31 with and 34 without masticatory muscle pain) and 60 subjects without PTSD and masticatory muscle pain. The levels of the substance P and dopamine were determined by enzymatic immunotest. Results: Plasma levels of substance P and dopamine were significant higher in PTSD patients with muscle pain, than in PTSD patients without muscle pain and control subjects. A positive correlation between the substance P plasma level and the number of muscle pain locations was established (r=0.65 ; p