Temporomandibular Disorders in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients: A Chronic Pain Condition Requiring Further Attention

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health concern that affects around 69 million individuals worldwide and occurs when an external force is applied to the head, leading to permanent or temporary disabilities. Depending on changes in cognitive/executive processes, TBI can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Aside from increased disability, TBI is often associated with the development of persistent post-traumatic headache (defined as a headache developing within seven days following TBI and persisting for more than three months after) [1]. In fact, a systematic review conducted in 2008 revealed that the pooled prevalence of post-traumatic headaches in adult TBI patients (veterans and civilians) was as high as 57.8% (data from 23 studies). Interestingly, rates in mild TBI were higher (75.3%) when compared with moderate and severe TBI (32.1%) [2]. Other common chronic pain conditions presenting along the trigeminal nerve distribution are temporomandibular disorders...