Somatosensory amplification and affective inhibition are elevated in myofascial face pain

This study was designed to determine whether affective inhibition and somatosensory amplification are elevated in patients with a history of myofascial face pain (MFP). These processes may underlie a tendency to express distress in somatic rather than affective terms, leading to somatized or masked depression.

Women (n = 162) with a history of MFP were compared with demographically equivalent women (n = 173) without MFP histories on self-report scales of affective inhibition and somatosensory amplification. Structured psychiatric interviews and health histories were conducted. In addition, a first-degree relative of 106 myofascial face pain subjects and 118 control subjects completed these same self-report scales.

MFP cases and controls differed significantly on measures of affective inhibition and somatosensory amplification. History of depression or current psychological distress did not account for group differences. Elevated levels of somatosensory amplification were confined to MFP women with active symptoms. Finally, although both somatosensory amplification and affective inhibition showed a tendency to run in families, familial transmission did not account for case/control differences.

Affective inhibition and somatosensory amplification are likely to be elevated in patients with MFP. Although not accounted for by psychiatric symptomatology, the possibility that these response styles are reactive to coping with chronic face pain cannot be ruled out.