Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and Risk Assessment (OPPERA)

The OPPERA project has two sub-studies investigating effects of genetic, physiological, psychological and clinical factors on the risk of developing painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD).

1. OPPERA I baseline case-control study of chronic TMJD (dbGaP study accession phs000762). This sub-study uses a case-control study design to investigate characteristics associated with chronic TMD. The parent OPPERA phenotype file contains an indicator variable (PHASE1CASECONTROL) identifying participants in this sub-study. Data users should use the relevant case-classification variable (CHRNONICTMDCASE) and apply statistical methods appropriate for case-control studies when analyzing TMJD in this sub-study.
2. OPPERA I prospective cohort for first onset of TMJD (dbGaP study accession phs000850). This sub-study uses a prospective cohort study design to investigate characteristics that predict risk of developing first-onset TMD. The parent OPPERA phenotype file contains an indicator variable (PROSPECTIVECOHORT) identifying participants in this sub-study. Data users should use the relevant case-classification variable (INCIDENTCASE) and the relevant time-in-study variable (FOLLOWUPYEARS) when analyzing TMJD in this sub-study. It is recommended that data users apply statistical methods appropriate for cohort studies of a dynamic population (for example, Cox regression models, where INCIDENTCASE is the censoring variable and FOLLOWUPYEARS is time in study).

• Study Weblinks:
  • OPPERA Dataverse
  • OPPERA2
• Study Design:
  • Case-Control
• Study Type:
  • Case-Control
  • Cohort
• Total number of consented subjects: 3446
• Subject Sample Telemetry Report (SSTR)

• BioProject
• PubMed
• BioSample
• MeSH
• PMC

Inclusion criteria were all three of:

1. Age 18-44 years
2. Planning on living in the area for the next two years
3. Fluent in written and spoken English.

Exclusion criteria were any one of 13 conditions:

1. Traumatic facial injury or surgery on the face or jaw within the six months preceding enrollment
2. Currently receiving orthodontic treatment
3. Pregnant or nursing
4. Kidney failure or renal dialysis
5. Heart disease or heart failure
6. Chronic respiratory disease that is not controlled with medication
7. Hypertension that is not controlled with medication
8. Epilepsy or medication to control grand mal seizures
9. Hyperthyroidism
10. Diabetes that is not controlled with medication or diet
11. Drug or alcohol abuse
12. Psychiatric disorders or conditions that have required hospitalization
13. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

The OPPERA project began in 2006 with enrollment of participants into two studies at four U.S. study sites: Baltimore, MD; Buffalo, NY; Chapel Hill, NC; and Gainesville, FL. In 2012, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) awarded funding to support the study for an additional five year period.

• Primary Phenotype: Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
• Chronic Pain

• Co-Program Directors
  • William Maixner, DDS, PhD. Center for Pain Research and Innovation, Department of Endodontics, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
  • Gary D. Slade, PhD. Center for Pain Research and Innovation, Department of Dental Ecology, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
• Principal Investigators
  • Roger B. Fillingim, PhD. Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, University of Florida, College of Dentistry, Gainesville, FL, USA.
  • Richard Ohrbach, DDS, PhD. Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
  • Joel D. Greenspan, PhD. Department of Neural and Pain Sciences and Brotman Facial Pain Center, University of Maryland Dental School, Baltimore, MD, USA.
  • Charles Knott, PhD, Data Coordinating Center Director. Battelle Memorial Institute, Durham, NC, USA.
• Neurogenomics Core Co-Directors
  • Luda Diatchenko, MD, PhD. Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
  • Bruce S. Weir, PhD. Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
• Co-Investigators
  • Shad B. Smith, PhD. Center for Pain Research and Innovation, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
  • Eric Bair, PhD. Center for Pain Research and Innovation, Department of Biostatistics, Department of Endodontics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
  • Ronald Dubner, DDS, PhD. Department of Neural and Pain Sciences and Brotman Facial Pain Center, University of Maryland Dental School, Baltimore, MD, USA.
• Funding Source
  • U01DE017018. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.