Association between stress and catecholamines with painful TMD in children

Abstract Background Studying biomarkers in children with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine may reveal factors like screen time or sleep loss that affect these biomarkers and predict TMD‐related pain, offering new research opportunities. Aim To determine the association between stress and catecholamines with myofascial pain and headache related to TMD in children. Design Sixty‐six 9‐ to 11‐year‐old children assisting at the clinics of Pediatric Dentistry of Universidad CES participated in the study. Myofascial pain and headache attributed to TMD were determined according to the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) Axis I. Stress was evaluated with the Perceived Stress Scale—Children (PSS‐C), and a 24‐h urine sample was analyzed using liquid chromatography to assay catecholamines. Single and multiple regression analyses were performed. Results Children with a mean age of 10.3 years participated in the study. The mean score of stress was 29 ± 4. Perceived stress, dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine were statistically significant predictors of myofascial pain and headache attributed to TMD in the single‐ and multiple variable logistic regression analyses. Conclusion Stressful states and its biological biomarkers increase the probability of developing myofascial pain and headache attributed to TMD in children.