Influence of cognitive performance on the response to pain education guidelines in patients with chronic painful temporomandibular disorders

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Patients with painful temporomandibular disorders (TMD) may present cognitive performance alterations, making it difficult to understand and adhering to self-management strategies offered in pain education interventions. The aim of this study was to analyze the response to self-management guidelines in patients with chronic painful TMD due to cognitive performance.

METHODS:

Sample of 45 patients (35.5 years) with chronic painful TMD according to Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD). Cognitive performance was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. The Brazilian Portuguese Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI- -BP) was also applied to measure central sensitization and numerical rating scale to assess the perception of pain intensity. The intervention consisted of self-care guidelines for pain management with homemade methods, through a video and a printed tutorial. After an interval of 15 days, a new evaluation was made to verify whether the self-management guidelines promoted pain-related changes in the sample studied and whether there were differences between participants with adequate and altered cognitive performance (groups obtained after the application of the test).

RESULTS:

The mean MoCA for the sample was 23.3±2.5 (lower than expected cognitive performance). A strong inverse correlation was found between the cognitive performance and pain intensity scores, indicating the tendency to have lower cognitive performance when there is greater intensity of pain (r=-0.77 and p=0.03). There was no correlation between cognitive performance and central sensitization (p>0.05). The group with better cognitive performance presented better response to pain education strategies.

CONCLUSION:

There is a trend towards worse cognitive performance according to the increase in perception of painful intensity. In addition, low cognitive performance seems to impair the use and efficacy of pain education-based intervention for patients with painful TMD, which is considered an important strategy for its management.

Keywords:
Cognition; Temporomandibular joint disorders; Chronic pain

HIGHLIGHTS

Pain intensity has an inverse association with cognitive performance in patients with painful temporomandibular disorders.

Cognitive performance appears to interfere with the utilization and effectiveness of pain education-based intervention for patients with painful temporomandibular disorders.

Patients with painful temporomandibular disorders tend to have lower than expected cognitive performance.