Effect of Treatments on Pain and Quality of Life in Individual With Burning Mouth Syndrome
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2024-10-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is characterized by a burning sensation on the tongue or other
areas of the mouth, often bilateral but occasionally unilateral. It is more prevalent in
postmenopausal women. No specific ethnic or socioeconomic predisposition has been identified.
The etiology and pathophysiology of BMS remain unknown. Various treatment approaches have
been proposed, yielding conflicting outcomes and underscoring the need for further
investigation.
Patients with BMS appear to respond well to long-term therapy involving systemic
antidepressants and anxiolytics. The most promising therapeutic effects have been observed
with clonazepam, which leads to a significant reduction in pain when applied topically or
systemically. Capsaicin, an herbal remedy, also presents as an alternative treatment option,
showing positive results in alleviating BMS symptoms when compared to a placebo.
Photobiomodulation represents another non-pharmacological treatment possibility. It's
analgesic action is possibly attributed to the inhibition of pain mediators. Alpha-lipoic
acid (ALA) is dietary supplement employed in BMS treatment. It serves as a potent antioxidant
naturally produced within the body, contributing to the mitigation of skin aging and
reinforcing the effects of other biological antioxidants. Based on these findings, attempts
have been made to demonstrate ALA's effectiveness in BMS management, concluding that ALA may
offer benefits in this context.
Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate, in adults with BMS, the impact of
different therapeutic approaches on frequency, intensity, and location of pain, as well as on
on quality of life.