Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms in an orofacial pain population.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were to investigate the presence and magnitude of self-reported fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms and to determine whether fatigue can be distinguished as a unique clinical symptom in a sample of patients diagnosed with chronic temporomandibular joint or masticatory muscle pain.


METHODS
Fifty-five chronic TMD patients and 55 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy volunteers completed a battery of 4 different fatigue measures as well as the SCL90-R, MPI, and PSQI.


RESULTS
Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms were reported significantly more often by chronic TMD patients than by healthy volunteers. MANCOVAs with somatization, depression, anxiety, general activity level, and sleep disturbances as covariates eliminated the differences between patients and controls. Stepwise regression showed that fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms did not appear to be a unique clinical symptom of TMD patients, but merely emerged as somatic symptoms accounted for by somatization and depression.


CONCLUSIONS
Fatigue and fatigue related symptoms may be symptoms of somatization and depression in this sample of chronic TMD patients.
de Leeuw
Reny
R
Orofacial Pain Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536-0297, USA. rdele0@email.uky.edu
Studts
Jamie L
JL
Carlson
Charles R
CR
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017271:Craniomandibular Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005222:Mental Fatigue / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology