Clinical and psychological characteristics of TMD patients with trauma history

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate clinical and psychological characteristics of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) patients with trauma history. Materials and methods: The clinical and psychological characteristics of 34 TMD patients with trauma history were compared with those of 340 TMD patients without trauma history. Craniomandibular index (CMI) was used for clinical characteristics of TMD patients. Symptom severity index (SSI) was used to assess the multiple dimensions of pain. Symptom checklist-90- revision (SCL-90-R) was used for psychological evaluation. Results: Temporomandibular disorders patients with trauma history displayed significantly higher CMI and palpation index. TMD patients with trauma history also exhibited higher values in duration, sensory intensity, affective intensity, tolerability, scope of symptom, and total SSI score. In addition, these patients showed significantly higher values in symptom dimensions of somatization, depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety, and paranoid ideation. Among the symptom dimensions of SCL-90-R, somatization showed the most significant correlations with CMI and SSI. Conclusions: Temporomandibular disorders patients with trauma history displayed more severe subjective, objective, and psychological dysfunction than those without trauma history. Pain of myogenous origin, history of physical trauma, and psychosocial dysfunction were all closely related.