SynthesisJournal of oral rehabilitation2025
Beyond Depression: The Role of Antidepressants in Managing Chronic Temporomandibular Disorders. A Systematic Review.
Synthesis 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 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A patient journey map based on the experience of temporomandibular disorders patients: a qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Temporomandibular disorders in children and adolescents: an underexplored condition in need of developmentally informed diagnostic guidance.Pain management · 2026Review
- Pain-Affective Disorder Comorbidity in the Temporomandibular Disorders: From Mechanistic Insights to Clinical Management.Neuroscience bulletin · 2026Review
- Association between temporomandibular disorders and somatization: a narrative review.Journal of oral & facial pain and headache · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain significantly impairs quality of life and lacks universally effective treatments. Antidepressants, traditionally used for mood disorders, have shown potential in managing chronic pain conditions. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy and safety of antidepressants for chronic TMD pain management.
methodsEligibility criteria: Included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing antidepressants for chronic TMD pain in adults, reporting pain reduction or functional improvement as outcomes. INFORMATION SOURCES: Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library through April 2024. Risk of bias: The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool was used to assess study quality. SYNTHESIS OF
resultsNarrative synthesis was performed due to heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes.
resultsIncluded studies: Seven RCTs with sample sizes ranging from 12 to 80 participants. Studies evaluated various antidepressants, including amitriptyline, duloxetine, nortriptyline, and citalopram, alone or combined with non-pharmacological treatments. SYNTHESIS OF
resultsAmitriptyline and duloxetine demonstrated significant reductions in pain intensity when used in combination therapies. Functional improvements, such as increased mouth opening, were observed in some studies. Side effects, particularly with duloxetine, were more frequent than with placebo. Variability in study designs, populations, and outcome measures limited comparability. Small sample sizes, short follow-up durations, and heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes reduced the strength of evidence.
conclusionAntidepressants, particularly when combined with non-pharmacological treatments, may enhance pain relief and functional outcomes for chronic TMD pain. However, high-quality, long-term studies are needed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
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.