title: Multisystem dysregulation in painful temporomandibular disorders.
abstract: Multiple physiological and psychological regulatory domains may contribute to the pathophysiology of pain in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and other bodily pain conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between multisystem dysregulation and the presence of TMD pain, as well as the presence of different numbers of comorbid pain conditions in TMD. Secondary data analysis was conducted in 131 non-TMD (without comorbid pain) controls, 14 TMD subjects without comorbid pain, 78 TMD subjects with 1 comorbid pain, and 67 TMD subjects with multiple comorbid pain conditions who participated in a TMD genetic study. Twenty markers from sensory, autonomic, inflammatory, and psychological domains were evaluated. The results revealed that 1) overall dysregulation in multiple system domains (OR [odds ratio] = 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4-1.8), particularly in the sensory (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.3-2.9) and the psychological (OR = 2.1, 95% CI = 2.1-2.7) domains, were associated with increased likelihood of being a painful TMD case; and 2) dysregulations in individual system domains were selectively associated with the increased odds of being a TMD case with different levels of comorbid persistent pain conditions. These outcomes indicate that heterogeneous multisystem dysregulations may exist in painful TMD subgroups, and multidimensional physiological and psychological assessments can provide important information regarding pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of pain in TMD patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The concurrent assessment of multiple physiological and psychological systems is critical to our understanding of the pathophysiological processes that contribute to painful TMD and associated comorbid conditions, which will ultimately guide and inform appropriate treatment strategies that address the multisystem dysregulation associated with complex and common persistent pain conditions.
authors.affiliation: Regional Center for Neurosensory Disorders, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, School of Dentistry, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA. hongchen@unc.edu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nackley
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Luda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Diatchenko
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Maixner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013705:Temporomandibular Joint Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Temporomandibular disorders; comorbid pain conditions; headache; multisystem dysregulation