Is it possible myogenic temporomandibular dysfunctions change the facial thermal imaging?

Abstract

| Infrared thermography is a functional examination that can document physiological changes such as abnormal cutaneous vasomotor activity in inflammatory and neurogenic pictures related to nociceptive and neuropathic pain by mapping the thermal distribution on the surface of the skin. Objective: The aim of this study was to verify if there is a facial thermal difference between the symptomatic and asymptomatic group for myogenic TMD according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorder (RDC/TMD) in a European population sample. Material and methods: Sixty-one subjects between 20 and 40 years (26.2 ± 7.6 years) of both sexes were divided into two groups. The 28 facial thermo-anatomic points were selected and the values of minimum (Tmin), mean (Tmed) and maximum (Tmax) temperatures, average of hemiface temperatures of whole sample, temperature difference (ΔT(°C)) between groups and from these data an algorithm was formulated to separate the groups with greater accuracy. Results: There was an average difference of 0.3 °C of all points when comparing the two groups. The symptomatic group had lower maximum temperature for frontal and lateral views when compared to the asymptomatic group (p<0.05), and presented lower average temperature in frontal view (p<0.05). Symptomatic individuals for myogenic TMD presented a reduction of facial cutaneous blood flow corresponding to lower maximum temperature by the proposed method of analysis of thermal anatomical points. Conclusions: Infrared thermography showed potential to be a screening and complementary diagnostic examination method for patients with myogenic temporomandibular disorders in the daily clinic just by frontal face image. DESCRIPTORS | Anatomy; Face; Facial Pain; Infrared Thermography; Temporomandibular Joint. RESUMO | É possível que disfunções temporomandibulares miogênicas alterem a imagem térmica facial? • A termografia por infravermelho é um exame funcional que pode documentar alterações fisiológicas, como atividade vasomotora cutânea anormal em quadros inflamatórios e neurogênicos relacionados à dor nociceptiva e neuropática, mapeando a distribuição térmica na superfície da pele. Objetivo: Verificar se existe diferença térmica facial entre o grupo sintomático e assintomático para DTM miogênica, de acordo com os Critérios de Diagnóstico de Pesquisa para Disfunções Temporomandibulares (RDC /TMD) em uma amostra da população europeia. Materiais e métodos: Dividiu-se 61 sujeitos entre 20 e 40 anos (26,2 ± 7,6 anos) de ambos os sexos em dois grupos. Selecionou-se os 28 pontos termo-anatômicos faciais e os valores das temperaturas mínima (Tmin), média (Tmed) e máxima (Tmax), média das temperaturas hemifaciais de toda a amostra e a diferença de temperatura (ΔT(°C)) entre os grupos. A partir desses dados, um algoritmo foi formulado para separar os grupos com maior precisão. Resultados: Houve diferença média de 0,3 °C em todos os pontos quando comparados os dois grupos. O grupo sintomático apresentou temperatura máxima mais baixa nas vistas front...

Recognition of Human Face Regions under Adverse Conditions—Face Masks and Glasses—In Thermographic Sanitary Barriers through Learning Transfer from an Object Detector

“…The surface temperature presents different and typically lower values from the core temperature for the different regions of the face, a surface commonly inspected in sanitary barriers. Different face regions can vary the nonfever temperature from 32.3 • C up to 35.9 • C [24][25][26]. Therefore, properly identifying the region of interest (ROI) on the human face where the temperature is being measured and applying an adequate threshold leads to a more accurate diagnosis than measuring the maximum face temperature without considering which region of the face is being treated.…”