title: Aging effect on pressure pain thresholds of head and neck muscles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aging implies a physiological decline in skeletal muscle mass and strength, pain perception, transmission and processing, causing pain thresholds to increase (presbyalgesia). This study compares the pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) of 18 head and neck muscles in groups of young and elderly subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 subjects, selected from a group of 97, referred for dental consultation. The inclusion criterion was subjects' age (from 20 to 30, and over 65 years). Exclusion criteria were all conditions which may alter PPTs. In two groups, A (young subjects; 10 men, 10 women) and B (elderly subjects; 11 men, 9 women) PPTs were evaluated by one calibrated examiner with a Fischer algometer. Data are described with mean values ± standard error and the 95% confidence interval. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare PPT values between the two groups (α=0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant difference between the PPTs of group A and B, which were higher in the elderly group in all muscles except five.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These preliminary data demonstrate that PPTs increase with aging in the muscles examined. Other confirmatory studies with a larger sample size are necessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bortolotti
authors.forename: Maria Lavinia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bartolucci
authors.forename: Emine Meral
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Inelmen
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gatto
authors.forename: Giulio Alessandri
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bonetti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure; D055815:Young Adult