Psychological aspects of temporomandibular disorder patients: evaluations after acupuncture treatment

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Depression and somatization are emotional features present in chronic temporomandibular disorder pain patients. This study aimed at evaluating results after acupuncture on psychological aspects of females with chronic muscle temporomandibular disorder pain. METHODS: Sample was made up of 40 females, aged between 18 and 45 years, submitted to two procedures: acupuncture and splint. Patients were evaluated for one month by the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders questionnaire Axis II before and after treatment. Treatment expectation before treatment was also evaluated by a visual analog scale with verbal anchors: negative expectation and positive expectation. RESULTS: There has been chronic pain improvement in 53.3% of acupuncture patients and in 60% of splint patients. For severe depression, 11.1% of acupuncture and 50% of splint patients have improved. Patients with severe somatization had 16.7% improvement with acupuncture and 44.4% with splint. There has been negative correlation (p

摘要：背景与研究目的：抑郁（depression）与躯体化（somatization）是慢性颞下颌关节紊乱疼痛患者所伴随的情绪特征。本研究旨在评估针灸（acupuncture）干预对慢性肌源性颞下颌关节紊乱疼痛女性患者的心理状态的干预效果。
研究方法：本研究纳入40名年龄介于18至45岁的女性受试者，分为针灸组与牙合夹板（splint）组，分别接受对应干预措施。治疗前后，均采用颞下颌关节紊乱病研究诊断标准第二轴问卷（Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders Axis II）对受试者进行评估，随访周期为1个月。治疗前还通过带有语言锚定的视觉模拟评分法（visual analog scale）评估受试者的治疗预期，分为负性预期与正性预期两类。
研究结果：针灸组有53.3%的患者慢性疼痛症状得到改善，牙合夹板组则有60%的患者症状获得改善。针对重度抑郁患者，针灸组与牙合夹板组分别有11.1%与50%的患者症状得到改善。重度躯体化患者中，针灸组与牙合夹板组分别有16.7%与44.4%的患者症状得到改善。本研究观察到负相关关系（p