Topical clonazepam for Burning Mouth Syndrome: is it efficacious in patients with anxiety or depression?
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-30-2021
Publication Title
Journal of oral rehabilitation
Abstract
Background Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic disorder characterised by pain in the oral cavity without clinically evident causative lesions. The aetiology of this condition is poorly understood, and treatment can be challenging. Method A retrospective review of the medical records of 82 patients with BMS was performed. Data on demographics, BMS associated symptoms, symptoms’ intensity score (NRS: 0–10) and response to treatment with topical clonazepam were extracted from clinical notes based on a standardised clinical questionnaire. Differences in the symptoms’ intensity score between patients with or without concomitant anxiety/depression or systemic psychogenic medication use were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results Among the entire cohort, the median symptoms’ intensity score at baseline was 4.5 and 3.0 at first follow-up, a statistically significant improvement (p < .001; 95% CI). Among the subjects with anxiety/depression and those who were prescribed systemic psychogenic medications, the median symptoms’ intensity score at baseline was 5.0 and 3.0 at first follow-up, a statistically significant improvement (p < .001; 95% CI). Among those without anxiety/depression, the symptoms’ intensity score at baseline was 4.0 and 2.0 at first follow-up, a statistically significant improvement (p < .05; 95% CI). The median symptoms’ intensity score for those who were not on any psychogenic medications at baseline was 4.0 and 2.0 at first follow-up, a statistically significant improvement (p < .001; 95% CI). Conclusions Clinicians are encouraged to prescribe topical clonazepam for BMS regardless of concomitant use of systemic psychogenic medications or comorbid mood disorders as it is an efficacious management approach in the presence or absence of these potentially complicating factors.
PubMed ID
34716948
Volume
49(1)
Recommended Citation
Intini, Rossella; Villa, Alessandro; Rao, Naman; Klasser, Gary D.; and Sroussi, Hervé Y., "Topical clonazepam for Burning Mouth Syndrome: is it efficacious in patients with anxiety or depression?" (2021). School of Dentistry Faculty Publications. 51.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/sod_facpubs/51