Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38661423›Full record

ReviewJournal of oral rehabilitation2025

The challenge of ecological validity in temporomandibular disorders research.

Jeffrey C Nickel, Yoly M Gonzalez, Luigi M Gallo, Laura R Iwasaki

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of oral rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Observational
  5. Observational
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Jeffrey C NickelDepartment of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry, Portland, Oregon, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5239-082X
Yoly M GonzalezDepartment of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Buffalo, New York, USA.
Luigi M GalloLMG Engineering GmbH, Zurich, Switzerland.
Laura R IwasakiDepartment of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry, Portland, Oregon, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3834-7918
Oregon Health & Science University · USLife Science Zurich · CHUniversity at Buffalo, State University of New York · US

Funding

Joules, Genes, and Behaviors: a multifactorial assessment of TMD risk indicatorsR01DE016417 · NIDCR · UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER · PI NICKEL, JEFFREY C · 2006 to 2015
$4.4M
American Association of Orthodontists FoundationNIDCR NIH HHSNIDCR NIH HHS R01 DE016417
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo review the ecological validity of outcomes from current research involving temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), with an emphasis on chronic myofascial pain and the precocious development of degenerative disease of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). MATERIALS AND

methodsCurrent approaches used to study TMDs in terms of neuromechanics, masticatory muscle behaviours, and the dynamics of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) were assessed for ecological validity in this review. In particular, the available literature was scrutinized regarding the effects of sampling, environmental and psychophysiological constraints and averaging data across biological rhythms.

resultsValidated computer-assisted numerical modelling of the neuromechanics used biological objective functions to accurately predict muscle activation patterns for jaw-loading tasks that were individual-specific. With respect to masticatory muscle behaviour, current findings refute the premise that sustained bruxing and clenching at high jaw-loading magnitudes were associated with painful TMDs such as myofascial pain. Concerning the role of the ANS in TMDs, there remains the need for personalized assessments based on biorhythms, and where the detection of dysregulated physiologic oscillators may inform interventions to relieve pain and restore normal function.

conclusionsFuture human research which focuses on TMD myofascial pain or the precocious development and progression of TMJ degenerative joint disease requires experimental designs with ecological validity that capture objectively measured data which meaningfully reflect circadian and ultradian states.

Indexed as

Autonomic Nervous SystemMasticatory MusclesTemporomandibular Joint DisordersFacial PainHumansReproducibility of Resultsautonomic nervous systembehaviourneuromechanicsosteoarthritispain

Identifiers

PMID38661423
PMCPMC13082567
OpenAlexW4395465553

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.