Sensibility threshold in depressive and nondepressive patients with chronic orofacial pain.

Sensibility threshold was measured in patients with depressive and nondepressive psychiatric disorders, where both groups were suffering from chronic orofacial pain. The control patients had no pain and no signs of mental disturbance. Patients with major depressive disorders had a significantly lower sensibility threshold than patients with milder depressive disorders, while patients with milder depressive disorders had a significantly lower sensibility threshold than patients with nondepressive mental disorders. The controls had the highest sensibility threshold. Plasma, beta-endorphin, cortisol and prolactin levels were also measured. The depressed patients were found to have a lower serum beta-endorphin level than the nondepressive patients and the controls, although the difference was not statistically significant.