Influence of self-reported physical activity and sleep quality on conditioned pain modulation in the orofacial region.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the influence of self-reported physical activity and sleep quality on conditioned pain modulation (CPM) in the orofacial region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety healthy participants aged 18-50 years old were evenly distributed according to the level of physical activity into low, moderate, and high level. The classification of physical activity was based on modified criteria of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), considering intensity, duration, and frequency of physical activity. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) assessed sleep quality and the individuals were then classified as good or poor sleepers. CPM was assessed using the pressure pain threshold (PPT) of the anterior temporalis as test stimulus and hand immersion in hot water as conditioning stimulus. ANOVA was applied to the data and Tukey's posttest was applied when the main effects or interactions were significant (p < 0.050). RESULTS: There was no significant main effect of neither physical activity nor sleep quality on pain modulation. However, individuals who reported high level of physical activity and good quality of sleep had a greater pain modulation (- 0.60 ± 0.34) when compared with those who reported moderate (- 0.10 ± 0.25) and low level of physical activity (- 0.10 ± 0.52) and good sleep quality (p < 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: Pain modulation seems to be more efficient in individuals who report a good sleep quality and a high level of physical activity. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Conditioned pain modulation is highly variable in healthy people. Therefore, a multifactorial approach should be taken into consideration in the evaluation of the efficacy of endogenous analgesia.

Direct and tomographic dimensional analysis of the inter-radicular distance and thickness of the vestibular cortical bone in the parasymphyseal region of adult human mandibles.

We calculated the inter-radicular distances between the canine, and first and second premolars, of human mandibles and the thickness of the cortical bone at adjacent sites using computed tomographic (CT) imaging, and assessed the precision of the dimensional assessment made by CT compared with the same measurement made directly with calipers. We examined 100 adult cadaveric dentate human hemimandibles. At the level at which monocortical screws are inserted to place miniplates according to the current technique used to treat mandibular fractures, points A, B, and C referred to the canine, and first and second premolars, and were marked to calculate the level of the CT slice and as the reference for sectioning of the hemimandible. Our findings showed that there was no significant difference in the inter-radicular distance or in the thickness of cortical bone between the sides of the mandible. The vestibular cortical bone was less than 3.0mm thick in 91 of the samples. In 98 of the samples the inter-radicular distance between the canine and the first and second premolars was more than 2mm. There was no significant difference in micrometric precision between the dimensional assessment on CT and direct measurement using a caliper. In the region of the mental foramen the screws have cortical bone less than 3mm thick in which to be anchored. The inter-radicular distance suggests that there is a minimal risk of radicular injury when miniscrews are inserted between the alveolar structures. CT is a reliable tool for measuring the inter-radicular distance and the thickness of mandibular cortical bone.