Pilot Study of the Effects of Transcutaneous Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation (nVNS) on Symptoms and Brain Mechanisms in Premenopausal Women With Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD)
The study aims to examine the effects of transcutaneous non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) on symptoms and brain mechanisms in premenopausal women with temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) is the most well researched and possibly the most effective non-invasive neuromodulation treatment for chronic pain conditions that targets the brain-gut-microbiome (BGM) axis. Participants will be asked to come in for 2 in-clinic visits, at baseline and post treatment. Participants will also be asked to come in 2x/week for 8 consecutive weeks to receive the nVNS treatment. The in-clinic visits will include physical measures, blood draw, saliva sample, and brain MRI. Participants will be asked to collect a stool sample at home and answer online questionnaires regarding, mood, pain, and health behaviors at home, prior to the in-clinic appointments.
• Ages 18-50
• Premenopausal menstruating women\*
• Participants report or present with at least 1 of 3 cardinal signs of TMD: jaw pain, limited mouth opening, or TMJ noise.
• Specific screening reveals clinical findings that include TMJ and/or masticatory and cervical muscle pain.
• Must have a negative urine test for pregnancy
• Ability to speak the English language fluently due to the standardized assessments involved
• Right-handed (participants are limited to right-handed individuals to reduce variability in brain lateralization and ensure more consistent, interpretable data).
⁃ Only premenopausal women are included to control for hormonal variability that may influence the results. Participants will be scheduled during their follicular phase based on self-reported last menstrual period to further reduce hormonal confounds.