Biomaterial Database

Utilization and mechanism of action of tricyclic antidepressants in the treatment of chronic facial pain: a review of the literature. 1990

R S Brown, and W K Bottomley

University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston.

Tricyclic antidepressants show promise in the treatment of chronic facial pain. The antinociceptive activity of this class of drugs appears to be independent of any antidepressant effects. An hypothesis is proposed that tricyclics antidepressants activate a descending serotonergic (5-HT1) antinociceptive pathway which in turn influences endogenous opioids. This antinociceptive pathway appears to utilize an endogenous pain modulation system. Future studies may demonstrate the operative mechanisms of action and open understanding as to etiologic factors.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009209	Myofascial Pain Syndromes	Muscular pain in numerous body regions that can be reproduced by pressure on TRIGGER POINTS, localized hardenings in skeletal muscle tissue. Pain is referred to a location distant from the trigger points. A prime example is the TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT DYSFUNCTION SYNDROME.	Myofascial Trigger Point Pain,Trigger Point Pain, Myofascial,Myofascial Pain Syndrome,Pain Syndrome, Myofascial,Pain Syndromes, Myofascial,Syndrome, Myofascial Pain,Syndromes, Myofascial Pain
D002908	Chronic Disease	Diseases which have one or more of the following characteristics: they are permanent, leave residual disability, are caused by nonreversible pathological alteration, require special training of the patient for rehabilitation, or may be expected to require a long period of supervision, observation, or care (Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed). For epidemiological studies chronic disease often includes HEART DISEASES; STROKE; CANCER; and diabetes (DIABETES MELLITUS, TYPE 2).	Chronic Condition,Chronic Illness,Chronically Ill,Chronic Conditions,Chronic Diseases,Chronic Illnesses,Condition, Chronic,Disease, Chronic,Illness, Chronic
D004745	Enkephalins	One of the three major families of endogenous opioid peptides. The enkephalins are pentapeptides that are widespread in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in the adrenal medulla.	Enkephalin
D005157	Facial Pain	Pain in the facial region including orofacial pain and craniofacial pain. Associated conditions include local inflammatory and neoplastic disorders and neuralgic syndromes involving the trigeminal, facial, and glossopharyngeal nerves. Conditions which feature recurrent or persistent facial pain as the primary manifestation of disease are referred to as FACIAL PAIN SYNDROMES.	Craniofacial Pain,Myofacial Pain,Orofacial Pain,Pain, Facial,Face Pain,Neuralgic Facial Pain,Facial Pain, Neuralgic,Pain, Craniofacial,Pain, Face,Pain, Myofacial,Pain, Neuralgic Facial,Pain, Orofacial
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000929	Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic	Substances that contain a fused three-ring moiety and are used in the treatment of depression. These drugs block the uptake of norepinephrine and serotonin into axon terminals and may block some subtypes of serotonin, adrenergic, and histamine receptors. However, the mechanism of their antidepressant effects is not clear because the therapeutic effects usually take weeks to develop and may reflect compensatory changes in the central nervous system.	Antidepressants, Tricyclic,Tricyclic Antidepressant,Tricyclic Antidepressant Drug,Tricyclic Antidepressive Agent,Tricyclic Antidepressive Agents,Antidepressant Drugs, Tricyclic,Agent, Tricyclic Antidepressive,Agents, Tricyclic Antidepressive,Antidepressant Drug, Tricyclic,Antidepressant, Tricyclic,Antidepressive Agent, Tricyclic,Drug, Tricyclic Antidepressant,Drugs, Tricyclic Antidepressant,Tricyclic Antidepressant Drugs,Tricyclic Antidepressants
D013705	Temporomandibular Joint Disorders	A variety of conditions affecting the anatomic and functional characteristics of the temporomandibular joint. Factors contributing to the complexity of temporomandibular diseases are its relation to dentition and mastication and the symptomatic effects in other areas which account for referred pain to the joint and the difficulties in applying traditional diagnostic procedures to temporomandibular joint pathology where tissue is rarely obtained and x-rays are often inadequate or nonspecific. Common diseases are developmental abnormalities, trauma, subluxation, luxation, arthritis, and neoplasia. (From Thoma's Oral Pathology, 6th ed, pp577-600)	TMJ Disorders,TMJ Diseases,Temporomandibular Disorders,Temporomandibular Joint Diseases,Disease, TMJ,Disease, Temporomandibular Joint,Diseases, TMJ,Diseases, Temporomandibular Joint,Disorder, TMJ,Disorder, Temporomandibular,Disorder, Temporomandibular Joint,Disorders, TMJ,Disorders, Temporomandibular,Disorders, Temporomandibular Joint,Joint Disease, Temporomandibular,Joint Diseases, Temporomandibular,Joint Disorder, Temporomandibular,Joint Disorders, Temporomandibular,TMJ Disease,TMJ Disorder,Temporomandibular Disorder,Temporomandibular Joint Disease,Temporomandibular Joint Disorder