Résumé
Objective:To analyse the salivary cortisol changes in patients with temporomandibular disorders(TMD)after electrical stimulation,and the relationship between cortisol and pain catastrophizing.Methods:1 1 TMD and 1 1 healthy subjects were evoked by electrical stimulation.The saliva samples were collested before test,50 s and 1 00 s of stimulation after test seperately.Salivary cortisol was analysed by ELISA kit.The pain catastrophizing scale(PCS)was answered by all the subjects before stimulation.Data were statis-tically analysed.Results:The salivary cortisol concentration in TMD patients was higher than that in the controls(P <0.05).After stimulation,it showed a downward trend.No interaction between time and groups.The total scores of PCS including three indexes(ru-mination,magnification,helpless)were positively correlated with salivary cortisol concentration.Conclusion:The unpredictable stress causes high level of cortisol.which is related to pain catastrophizing.