%0 Journal Article
%T The role of pain-related disability on treatment outcome and psychosocial symptoms in patients with temporomandibular disorders - a pilot study.
%A Hietaharju M
%A Näpänkangas R
%A Ahtonen P
%A Kuoppala R
%A Sipilä K
%J Acta Odontol Scand
%V 81
%N 5
%D Jul 2023 2
%M 36592379
%F 2.232
%R 10.1080/00016357.2022.2162575
%X <B>UNASSIGNED: </B>The aim of the pilot study was to investigate the association of pain-related disability with the outcome of conservative treatment of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and with depressive and non-specific physical symptoms among TMD pain patients utilizing Graded Chronic Pain Scale 1.0 (GCPS1.0) as a screening instrument.<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>The study included 80 adult patients who were referred to the Oral and Maxillofacial Department, Oulu University Hospital, Finland, due to TMD pain. At baseline, pain-related disability was assessed by using the GCPS1.0 according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD), and the patients were categorized into three TMD subtypes, 1-3. Patients were given conservative TMD treatment. At follow-up visits (1, 3, 6, and 12 months), patients evaluated the pain intensity on an NRS and described the treatment outcome and the severity of the TMD symptoms on a numerical scale.<BR><B>UNASSIGNED: </B>Patients with TMD subtype 3 (moderate/severe disability) had the highest NRS scores and described their symptoms as most severe at each time point, statistically significantly so at 1-month and 6-month follow-up (p < .05). The highest proportion of depressive symptoms was found in TMD subtype 3 (p < .05). The current pilot study showed that moderate/severe TMD-related disability, based on the GCPS 1.0 as a screening tool, may be linked with poor treatment outcome and depressive symptoms. Studies with larger samples are needed to confirm the results.