Influence of sleep quality on pain characteristics, anxiety symptoms and catastrophizing in patients with painful temporomandibular disorders treated in private orofacial pain clinic

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Extensive literature has shown that poor sleep quality, anxiety symptoms and catastrophizing contribute to worsening of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) conditions. However, most studies are conducted in public institutions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of sleep quality on pain characteristics and psychological factors in patients with symptomatic TMD treated in a private orofacial pain clinic. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. Forty-four adult patients were selected according to the Axis I of the diagnostic criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) and completed the questionnaires Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI); Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PSC) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7). The sample was divided into poor sleep quality and good sleep quality based on PSQI scores. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) quantified pain intensity and the pain duration was recorded in months. RESULTS: 63.64% of the patients had muscle TMD (myofascial pain), 18.18% had joint TMD (arthralgia) and 18% had both disorders. 72.73% of all patients had pain for more than 6 months. Patients reporting poor sleep quality had more anxiety symptoms (p=0.009) and catastrophic thoughts related to pain (p=0.006); of these, 93.7% had pain for more than 6 months. Negative correlations were observed between age and pain intensity, and between age and anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSION: Poor sleep quality was significantly associated with anxiety, catastrophizing and pain duration in TMD patients treated in orofacial pain private practice.

Keywords

• anxiety
• catastrophization
• facial pain
• private practice
• sleep quality
• temporomandibular joint disorders