Emotional Intelligence and Chronic Orofacial Pain

NCT ID: NCT07280338

Last Updated: 2025-12-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Total Enrollment: 88 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2026-01-01
• Study Completion Date: 2027-01-01

Brief Summary

Chronic pain, lasting more than three months, is a widespread health issue that negatively impacts daily life, leading to significant emotional distress and functional impairment. Emotional intelligence, defined as the ability to recognize and manage one's own emotions as well as those of others, has been linked to better communication skills and reduced stress, which is a well-known risk factor for chronic pain. Studies have highlighted a correlation between emotional intelligence and certain chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia and migraines. However, no research has yet explored its role in painful temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Given the strong involvement of psychosocial factors in TMD etiology, a better understanding of these elements could improve pain management and pave the way for preventive interventions.

Detailed Description

This project aims to compare emotional intelligence and various psychosocial factors (anxiety, depression, coping, emotional regulation) between patients with painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and a control group without TMD or chronic pain. The study is based on the administration of validated French-language questionnaires during routine dental medicine consultations. Each participant completes these questionnaires in approximately 15 minutes, without any modification to their care. The data collected will help assess the relationships between orofacial pain and emotional factors to improve the understanding and management of affected patients.

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: CASE_ONLY
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Evaluation of the potential link between emotional intelligence and chronic orofacial pain.

All included subjects will have the same participation, which consists of completing several standardized questionnaires. These questionnaires assess various psychological and emotional aspects, including anxiety and depressive disorders (HADS questionnaire), coping strategies (Brief-COPE score), emotional regulation (ERS score), fatigue level (EVA scale), and emotional intelligence (TEIQue-SF questionnaire) to compare scores between the DTM group and the control group. Additionally, sociodemographic and psychosocial criteria will be collected to refine the analysis of the results. The completion of these questionnaires is part of routine consultations and does not alter the patients' standard care.

Questionnaire and Physical Exam

Intervention Type: OTHER

All included subjects will be required to complete the following questionnaires:

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Brief-COPE for coping assessment Emotion Reactivity Scale (ERS) for emotional regulation Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for fatigue assessment Sociodemographic and psychosocial evaluation Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire - Short Form (TEIQue-SF) for emotional intelligence assessment

Interventions

Questionnaire and Physical Exam

All included subjects will be required to complete the following questionnaires:

Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Brief-COPE for coping assessment Emotion Reactivity Scale (ERS) for emotional regulation Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for fatigue assessment Sociodemographic and psychosocial evaluation Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire - Short Form (TEIQue-SF) for emotional intelligence assessment

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

For all subjects:

Major subject

• Non-opposition obtained
• For subjects in the TMD group:

Diagnosis of temporomandibular dysfunction -No other diagnosis of chronic pain

For subjects in the control group:

-No diagnosis of chronic pain

• Subject not understanding French
• Subject under legal protection (guardianship or curatorship)
• Refusal to participate

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University Hospital, Brest

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Central Contacts

Anais LE FUR-BONNABESSE, Dr

Role: CONTACT

Anais.lefur-bonnabesse@chu-brest.fr

0298223330

Other Identifiers

2025-A00682-47

Identifier Type: REGISTRY

Identifier Source: secondary_id

29BRC24.0372

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id