Pain, allodynia, and serum serotonin level in orofacial pain of muscular origin.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to investigate the serum level of serotonin (S-5-HT) in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) of muscular origin, i.e., localized myalgia, and to compare it to that found in healthy individuals and patients with fibromyalgia. A second aim was to investigate the association between S-5-HT and pain parameters.


METHODS
Twenty patients with localized myalgia participated in the study. Twenty age- and gender-matched healthy individuals and twenty patients with fibromyalgia served as controls. The participants were examined clinically as to the condition of the temporomandibular region and S-5-HT.


RESULTS
The levels of S-5-HT did not differ significantly between the groups. However, in patients with localized myalgia there was a negative correlation between S-5-HT and tenderness of the temporomandibular muscles.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicate that allodynia of orofacial muscles in patients with TMD is significantly related to S-5-HT concentration.
Ernberg
M
M
Department of Clinical Oral Physiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. malin.ernberg@ofa.ki.se
Hedenberg-Magnusson
B
B
Alstergren
P
P
Lundeberg
T
T
Kopp
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005152:Facial Muscles / Q000737:chemistry; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000097:blood; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008410:Masticatory Muscles / Q000737:chemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013706:Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction Syndrome / Q000097:blood*
D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D012701:Serotonin