Study on the influence of prefrontal area functional modulation on the onset of idiopatic tooth pain

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K11759
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Surgical dentistry
• Research Institution: Kyushu Dental College
• Principal Investigator: Shiiba Shunji 九州歯科大学, 歯学部, 准教授 (20285472)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 左合 徹平 九州歯科大学, 歯学部, 助教 (80710574)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 前頭前野 / 心理ストレス / 大脳辺縁系

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined dopaminergic activity in the prefrontal area, but no clear activity was observed. We examined autonomic nervous activity in patients with idiopathic toothache as a preliminary experiment. When pain stimulation was given to a patient with idiopathic toothache, sympathetic nerve activity was activated, but the difference was not significant compared with healthy adults. Moreover, it was found that activation of sympathetic nerve activity to psychological stress was significantly increased as compared with healthy adults, and that in addition, its hyperactivity was difficult to reposition. These results indicate that limbic hyperactivity to psychological stress in idiopathic toothache patients is involved. Also. It is likely that hyperactivity is not due to the functional modulation of the prefrontal area that works repressively in the limbic system.

Free Research Field

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Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

原因不明の歯痛として特発性歯痛（idiopathic toothache :IT）がある。Iこの痛みには情動ストレスが少なからず関与することがわかっている。今後もストレス社会は続くと予測されることよりITに苦しむ患者は増加すると思われる。ヒトは様々な痛みに苛まれてきた。ITは癌性疼痛、神経障害性疼痛と並んで早急に解決すべき痛みである。これまで、癌性疼痛、神経障害性疼痛は研究が行われ成果が報告されているがITに関する研究は積極的に行われていない。発症機序を明らかにし、治療法を開発することは、ITに苦しむ患者の福音となることは疑う余地がない。