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Study Description

The OPPERA project is investigating effects of genetic, physiological, psychological and clinical factors on the risk of developing painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD). This case-control study is a discovery-phase genome wide association study that aims to identify commonly-occurring genetic variants associated with chronic TMD. It represents the first step in a series of studies that seek to identify the genetic background of TMD.

For related phenotype and targeted genotype data, please see additional studies from the OPPERA project at dbGaP phs000761).

Authorized Access
Publicly Available Data (Public ftp)
Study Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria

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
Molecular Data
TypeSourcePlatformNumber of Oligos/SNPsSNP Batch IdComment
Whole Genome Genotyping Illumina HumanOmni2.5 2443179 N/A Plus Exome Data
Study History

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.

Selected publications
Diseases/Traits Related to Study (MeSH terms)
Links to Related Resources
Authorized Data Access Requests
See research articles citing use of the data from this study
Study Attribution
  • 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.
  • Principal Investigator, Data Coordinating Center Director
    • 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.
  • Genotyping Center
    • Center for Inherited Disease Research (CIDR). Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
  • Genotyping Quality Control
    • Genetics Coordinating Center. Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, WA, USA.
  • Funding Source for CIDR Genotyping
    • HHSN268201200008I, NIH contract "High throughput genotyping for studying the genetic contributions to human disease". National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.