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

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

Classic Psychedelics in Chronic Pain Survey

Kathleen Hodgin, a graduate research assistant at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the Neuroinflammation, Pain & Fatigue Laboratory contacted us about her study opportunity. The purpose of the research study is to learn more about how classic psychedelics might interact with chronic widespread pain, such as in fibromyalgia. They are interested in hearing from individuals who have experienced chronic, widespread pain, and have taken a classic psychedelic (psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, mescaline, peyote or San Pedro cactus, DMT or ayahuasca). Study participants will be presented with questions about their health, pain, substance use, and experience(s) with use of psychedelics. Patients will be asked about any changes in pain or other symptoms related to past psychedelic experiences. Participation in this study takes on average 30 minutes. Additional details and a link to the study is available at: https://uab.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d6G1AAZ4I9jaZqC

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.