Neural mechanism for developing therapy for masseter muscle pain triggered by myofascial pain in the neck shoulder

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K11272
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Surgical dentistry
• Research Institution: Nihon University
• Principal Investigator: KUBO Asako 日本大学, 歯学部, ポスト・ドクトラル・フェロー (70733202)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 篠田 雅路 日本大学, 歯学部, 准教授 (20362238) ; 本田 訓也 日本大学, 歯学部, ポスト・ドクトラル・フェロー (20548945) ; 片桐 綾乃 大阪大学, 歯学研究科, 助教 (40731899)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): IWATA Koichi 日本大学, 歯学部, 教授 (60160115)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 咬筋痛 / 顎関節症 / 神経成長因子 / 機械痛覚過敏

Outline of Final Research Achievements

As soreness of the masseter muscle caused by tooth clenching or stiff shoulders are not diseases related to life prognosis, the study about their origins and molecular mechanisms do not well studied. Therefore, in this study, "an animal model of masseter muscle pain accompanying stiff shoulders" was developed in which the nerve growth factor was injected to the trapezius muscle causing muscle pain and the electrical stimulation was applied on the masseter muscle at the same time. No hyperalgesia was induced in the group treated with nerve growth factor (NGF) alone or in the group with the electrical stimulation of the masseter muscles alone, whereas mechanical hyperalgesia of the masseter muscle (ie. pain during muscle contraction) was caused in the NGF injected and stimulated model. It was demonstrated that the painfulness of the shoulder causes hyperalgesia of the masseter muscle.

Free Research Field

神経生理学