Headache and oral parafunctional behaviors

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Oral Medicine
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Headaches are often associated with oral parafunctional behaviors.
• Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are frequently diagnosed in headache patients.
• The link between oral parafunctions and headache symptoms requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test if headache patients exhibit more oral parafunctional behaviors than controls.
• To determine if headache patients are diagnosed with TMD more frequently than controls.
• To evaluate the efficacy of habit reversal treatment in reducing headache pain and oral parafunctions.

Main Methods:

• Phase I: Assessed oral parafunctional behaviors, pain, and emotional states using experience sampling method (ESM) in headache patients and controls.
• Phase II: Headache patients were randomized to habit reversal treatment or a waitlist control group.
• Both groups completed ESM in the sixth week to assess changes in pain and parafunctions.

Main Results:

• Headache patients reported significantly more oral parafunctional behaviors and TMD diagnoses than controls.
• Both treatment and waitlist groups showed general improvements in pain and parafunctions.
• Habit reversal treatment demonstrated comparable pain reduction to the waitlist control.

Conclusions:

• Individuals with headaches exhibit higher rates and intensities of oral parafunctional behaviors.
• Habit reversal treatment for oral parafunctions showed no significant advantage over a waitlist control for headache pain relief.
• Further research is needed to understand the complex relationship between headaches, TMD, and oral parafunctions.