Orofacial Pain Biomarkers

This book provides up-to-date information on all aspects of orofacial pain biomarkers, which are of evolving importance. The first section includes explanation of the neurobiological substrates underlying chronic orofacial pain and the potential role of biomarkers in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Differences and similarities between saliva and serum biomarkers for pain are then explained, and assessment methods and statistical analyses used in evaluating biomarkers are considered. The main section of the book examines the contribution of clinical studies to the field of biomarkers for orofacial pain and discusses biomarkers for masticatory muscle pain, temporomandibular joint pain, neuropathic face pain, and autonomic nervous system involvement in trigeminal facial pain. The potential impacts of the immune system on orofacial pain biomarkers are also discussed, and the final section identifies future challenges and suggests new directions in the field. This book provides up-to-date information on all aspects of orofacial pain biomarkers. It opens by presenting background information on clinical phenotypes and the neurobiological substrates underlying chronic orofacial pain and by explaining the potential role of biomarkers in the diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, and treatment of orofacial pain. The main section of the book examines the contribution of human and animal studies to the field of biomarkers for orofacial pain and discusses biomarkers for masticatory muscle pain, temporomandibular joint pain, neuropathic face pain, and autonomic nervous system involvement in trigeminal facial pain. The potential impacts of the immune system on orofacial pain biomarkers and candidate gene phenotypes with possible links to chronic orofacial pain conditions are also addressed, and differences and similarities between saliva and serum biomarkers for pain are explained as well. The final section covers research-related issues in assessment methods and statistical