This application is for continuation of a broad-based multidisciplinary research program on dental/orofacial pain and involves animal and human studies intended to generate new knowledge about the neurophysiologic and psychophysiologic mechanisms of orofacial pain and pain syndromes together with some of the associated physiologic, emotional and behavioral responses. The animal studies will continue to focus on extending knowledge about basic physiologic mechanisms associated with pain when the trigeminal system is stimulated in the cat to findings in monkeys using non-invasive methods for measuring brain functioning at different levels by measuring tooth-evoked far-field (brainstem) and near-field (cortical) potentials in monkeys. The human studies will extend research in psychophysiologic and psychologic mechanisms modifying pain initiated in the previous project. One approach is concerned with event-related brain evoked potentials (EP) in human laboratory pain perception. The impact of changes in the EEg on the relationship between pain perception and EP's will be assessed as will the effects of attention and distraction during painful stimulation. Another approach will be to examine the efficacy of psychologic pain control strategy in naturalistic settings where human pain is a significant factor. Coping strategies employing psychologic (cognitive) mechanisms will be studied for providing relief of dental pain from pathology, surgery and in the postoperative period. The program project will integrate data in these areas in an attempt to generate a more comprehensive perspective of dental/orofacial pain. It is anticipated such a project will have a heuristic impact on other academic communities where there is already an interest in pain research. Other important spinoffs of this program project will be: a) to provide an optimal environment for training of dental/medical scientists in research, and b) to generate new findings that will contribute to the education of dental/medical students and practitioners. The ultimate goal of this broad-based research program remains to acquire new knowledge that will enhance the ability of dentists, physicians and other health professionals to provide more effective therapy to patients with acute or chronic dental and orofacial pain and pain problems. This is a critically important objective because pain in general, and dental/profacial pain in particular, afflicts millions of Americans and currently constitutes a serious national health and economic problem.
