Objectives: Subjects with burning mouth syndrome (BMS) have altered sensitivity and pain thresholds for thermal stimuli compared to a control group.
Materials and methods: Fourteen women and 6 men (average age = 62.60 years, median = 63.50) with BMS and a control group were tested using the method of thermal quantitative sensory testing (tQST) (tip, right, and left lateral border of the tongue, left thumb) to determine their heat/cold detection threshold (WDT/CDT) and heat/cold pain threshold (HPT/CPT).
Results: Only the CPT values at the tip and both lateral border of the tongue show a statistically significant difference: tip of the tongue: sick = 12.0 ± 5.5 °C, median 14.2°C; healthy = 4.5 ± 2.9 °C; median = 6.4 °C; p = 0.000; right lateral border: sick = 8.55 ± 3.34 °C; healthy = 4.46 ± 1.90 °C; median 5.8 °C; p < 0.001; left lateral border: sick = 10.18 ± 3.94 °C¸ healthy = 4.15 ± 2.18 °C; median = 6.0 °C; p < 0.001.
Conclusions: BMS may be a combination of a dysfunction of free nociceptive nerve endings in the peripheral nervous system and impaired pain processing in the central nervous system.
Clinical relevance: This preliminary study provides hints to other causes of BMS. This offers the possibility of further therapeutic options.
Keywords: BMS; Burning mouth syndrome; Pain threshold; Thermal quantitative sensory testing; tQST.