Participate in Research - The TMJ Association

Why Should I Participate in Research?

By participating in clinical studies, you play an integral role in advancing scientific knowledge on TMJ disorders. Researchers need people with a TMJ disorder, along with healthy individuals. By participating, you can help generate much-needed data to help yourself and others!

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has resources to help you understand clinical trials and their role in evaluating new treatments. This infographic is a great place to start. Visit NIH Clinical Research Trials and You, a comprehensive website for people who want to learn about clinical trials or participate in one. You can also check out their informative FAQ.

Study Opportunities

Patients living in the San Francisco, CA area needed - Evaluation of Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound for Targeted Modulation of Pain Circuits in Chronic Pain

This research study seeks to evaluate a non-surgical, non-drug wearable therapy using Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Stimulation (LIFUS) of the deep brain to alleviate pain in patients with chronic pain. Conducting this research study will enable further development of a novel wearable device, to allow in-clinic or at-home use for pain reduction. This technology is already being used in multiple studies for other conditions. LIFUS is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation that uses sound waves (the same form of energy used in fetal ultrasound imaging during pregnancy) to target and alter activity in areas of the deep brain. As FUS is highly precise, it can accomplish this task without impacting the surrounding brain tissue. Click here to view the informed patient consent.

Eligibility: This study may be an option if you are:

Experiencing chronic pain (persisting for at least 3 months)
22 to 80 years old
Able to undergo a brain MRI
Able to visit trial location in San Francisco

Study schedule: The study takes place at our office in Mission Bay (San Francisco, CA). The study consists of 3 required visits and some optional visits. Each visit will take less than 2 hours and be completed at least a week apart. Participants will be compensated $50 per visit. The researchers are very flexible with scheduling and can schedule visits for weekends and outside of work hours.

To sign up and for more information go to: https://www.attuneneuro.com/

University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Study Conducting a Research Study on TMJ Pain

This federally funded research project provides non-surgical treatments to persons with pain in the area of the TMJ. The purpose is to test a new treatment approach. All volunteers will get an X-ray of the face, and will receive a splint (a mouth guard), plus non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (like Advil), and weekly monitoring, as well as additional instruction in coping and managing the pain of temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD).

Those eligible for participation must meet the following conditions:

- TMD-related pain for at least 3 months.
- Must live in proximity to UConn Health, Farmington, CT, to allow for treatment, monitoring of progress, and follow-ups.

To view the patient consent form, click here. Call 860-679-2745 for more information or visit:
https://health.uconn.edu/dental/patient-services/oral-and-maxillofacial-surgery/tmj-treatment/

TMJ Patients Needed for In-Person Study at the University of Minnesota

For those of you in the Twin Cities, Duluth, Rochester, or nearby areas, a researcher working with the University of Minnesota is looking for participants to collect data as an early step toward the development of a new medical device. There is one brief in-person meeting required, but the researcher can travel around those areas to meet you if you are interested. Please see below for details.

“Have you been diagnosed with TMD/TMJ Pain, Chronic Low Back Pain, and/or Painful Peripheral Neuropathy? Has your pain lasted for more than 3 months with an average daily pain intensity in the past week of ≥3/10 and at least one instance of pain ≥6/10 in the past week? If so, please contact groenke@umn.edu for more information regarding possible participation in an ongoing, at-home research study seeking to learn more about how the body responds to different pain levels. There is a $20 gratuity payment following successful completion of the study.”

Central and Peripheral Factors in Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD)

Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta are in need of TMJ patients to participate in their study. They are investigating people who experience chronic pain in the head and/or face in everyday life. They are using unique tests to find out how the brain processes chronic and acute pain messages and will observe patients to see how pain and sensory processing differs in TMD. Click here to view the informed consent form for this study. Contact Daniel Harper, PhD (Principal Investigator) at 404-727-7789 or daniel.harper@emory.edu with any questions and to participate.

Chronic Pain Research Study

Dr. Vania Apkarian of Northwestern University and his team are looking for chronic pain patients to participate in their study. The purpose of their study is to understand how chronic pain patients use and interact with a mobile app that helps them optimize pain management.The specific purposes of this study are to:

• Track the use an educational app designed to help patients manage chronic pain with evidence-based, scientifically accurate pain self-management education; and

• Understand how patients use of the app relates to changes in pain and other chronic symptoms over 12 weeks.

Participants in the study will get full access to the online program for the 12 week period, free of charge. To learn more and join the study go to: https://aivohealth.com/campaign/research-study

Relationship Between the Intensity of Daily Physical Activity and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

A research team from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences of Hasselt University in Belgium is investigating the relationship between the intensity of daily physical activity and chronic musculoskeletal pain. They will be looking at fibromyalgia, chronic temporomandibular disorder, osteoarthritis, chronic neck pain, chronic shoulder pain, and chronic low back pain. The study involves an online survey which will take approx. 50 minutes to complete. More details and a link to the study is available at: : https://uhasselt.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_etl78e58y2YeUDQ

Vestibulodynia (VBD) UPDATe Study

Recruiting participants in the Vestibulodynia (VBD) UPDATE Study. In order to identify the most effective treatments for women with chronic vaginal pain, researchers at Duke University, The University of California – Los Angeles, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are performing a randomized placebo-controlled blinded clinical trial. This trial hopes to better understand how women experience VBD pain in order to determine what treatments work best for different women. English-literate women between the ages of 18-50 years are eligible for immediate enrollment if they have VBD and meet certain study criteria. To learn more about the study, meet our research team, and enroll, please visit our UPDATe Study website.

University of California San Diego Study on Chronic Low Back Pain

The Brain Mechanisms of Pain and Health Laboratory at University of California San Diego is conducting a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical trial examining the effects of meditation on chronic low back pain. They are looking for patients between 18-65 years of age that have been suffering from chronic low back pain for at least three months. The study requires seven days of patient involvement with one month to complete the study. Patients will be compensated $400 for completion of the study. For additional information, including a complete description of the study at the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute at UCSD, please feel free to contact zeidanlab@ucsd.edu and/or call (858) 246-2028.

UCSD is conducting another NIH clinical trial examining the effects of meditation on chronic low back pain. They are looking for individuals with chronic low back pain who are 18-65 years of age. This 16-part study may take up to 48 days to complete. Participants will undergo bodily maneuvers, noxious heat, brain imaging, meditation interventions, and cognitive testing. Brain imaging will take place in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner located at the UCSD campus. Participants will be compensated $780 for successfully completing the study. The study is located in the San Diego County region. In order to participate individuals should contact zeidanlab@ucsd.edu and/or call (858) 246-2028.