Arpana Church
The study aims to examine the effects of transcutaneous non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) on symptoms and brain mechanisms in premenopausal women with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) is the most well researched and possibly the most effective non-invasive neuromodulation treatment for chronic pain conditions that targets the brain-gut-microbiome (BGM) axis. Participants will be asked to come in for 2 in-clinic visits, at baseline and post treatment. Participants will also be asked to come in 2x/week for 8 consecutive weeks to receive the nVNS treatment. The in-clinic visits will include physical measures, blood draw, saliva sample, and brain MRI. Participants will be asked to collect a stool sample at home and answer online questionnaires regarding, mood, pain, and health behaviors at home, prior to the in-clinic appointments.
Inclusion Criteria: * Ages 18-50 * Premenopausal menstruating women\* * Participants report or present with at least 1 of 3 cardinal signs of TMD: jaw pain, limited mouth opening, or TMJ noise. * Specific screening reveals clinical findings that include TMJ and/or masticatory and cervical muscle pain. * Must have a negative urine test for pregnancy * Ability to speak the English language fluently due to the standardized assessments involved * Right-handed (participants are limited to right-handed individuals to reduce variability in brain lateralization and ensure more consistent, interpretab…
nVNS treatment 2x/week for 8 consecutive weeks.
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