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

Online Focus Group for Young Adults

Researchers at Stanford University and Vanderbilt University are looking for participants 18-24 years old who have experience with chronic pain to gather their feedback on a research project aiming to help youth monitor their pain at home. This will be a one-time, 2-hour virtual meeting hosted via Zoom. Participants will be asked to provide feedback on the upcoming project and recruitment ideas. Meeting participants will NOT be asked to participate. The meeting will take place early to mid-March 2025. If you are interested and want to learn more, visit: https://redcap.link/simons.

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/

Central and Peripheral Factors in Temporomandibular Disorder

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.

Impact of Daily Physical Activity and Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Survey

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 approximately 50 minutes to complete. More details and a link to the study is available at: https://uhasselt.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_etl78e58y2YeUDQ

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/

West Virginia University Study

This research aims to explore the experiences of sexual minority (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, queer, etc.) young adults (ages 18-24) with chronic pain in the healthcare system.

To participate, you would complete surveys online (~45 mins) once. You may have the option to complete a confidential Zoom interview (~60 mins) with a member of the study team. You would receive a $15 gift card for completing the surveys and a $20 gift card if you complete the interview.

To see if you are eligible and to request more information about the study, please complete this form: https://redcap.wvctsi.org/redcap/surveys/?s=HM8X444KY8C8RRRW This study is being conducted by Cecily Conour, MS, and Kevin Larkin, PhD, and IRB approval is on file through West Virginia University.