Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40038711›Full record

Trial reportBMC oral health2025

Evaluating amitriptyline's role in chronic TMD management: a placebo-controlled trial.

Ratka Borić Brakus, Ivan Brakus, Andreja Carek, Tea Galić, Iva Z Alajbeg

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC oral health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Ratka Borić Brakus *University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
Ivan BrakusDepartment of Oral Surgery, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000, Split, Croatia. ivan.brakus@gmail.com.
Andreja CarekDepartment of Fixed Prosthodontics, University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
Tea GalićDepartment of Prosthodontics, University of Split School of Medicine, 21000, Split, Croatia.
Iva Z Alajbeg *Department of Removable Prosthodontics, University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia. ialajbeg@sfzg.unizg.hr.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo assess the effectiveness of low-dose amitriptyline in reducing pain and improving oral health-related quality of life in individuals with chronic temporomandibular disorders (TMD) over a 2-month period, compared to placebo.

methodsForty participants were randomly assigned to receive either 25 mg of amitriptyline or a placebo pill for 2 months. The primary outcome was pain intensity, measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The secondary outcome was the impact of pain on oral health-related quality of life, assessed by the Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire (OHIP-14). Evaluations were conducted at baseline and after the 1st and 2nd months of treatment.

resultsNo statistically significant differences were observed between the treatment groups at baseline (p > 0.05). After 2 months of treatment participants in amitriptyline group experienced a significantly greater reduction in spontaneous pain, with a 63.3% decrease in VAS scores. Participants in placebo group showed a much smaller reduction in spontaneous pain, with only a 16.2% decrease in VAS scores. Additionally, the amitriptyline group demonstrated a significant improvement in OHIP-14 scores (p < 0.001), whereas the placebo group showed no significant change in oral health-related quality of life (p = 0.184).

conclusionThis study highlights low-dose amitriptyline as an effective treatment for chronic TMD, showing significant pain reduction and improved quality of life, underscoring its value in a multimodal approach despite the need for further research to personalize care.

trial registrationThis study was registered retrospectively in ISRCTNregistry under the number ISRCTN17622685, on 01/10/2024.

Indexed as

AmitriptylineAnalgesics, Non-NarcoticChronic PainTemporomandibular Joint DisordersAdultChronic DiseaseDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPain MeasurementQuality of LifeTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultAmitriptylineAnalgesics, Non-NarcoticAmitriptylinePain reductionTemporomandibular disorders

Identifiers

PMID40038711
PMCPMC11877830

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.