Sleep disturbance in patients with Burning Mouth Syndrome: a multicentric italian study

Sleep disturbance (SD) and mood disorders (MD) are common among Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) patients. The aim of this study was to investigate sleep complaints in a large cohort of Italian patients with BMS and the relationships between these disturbances, negative mood and pain. There are 200 patients with BMS versus an equal number of age and sex-matched healthy controls, recruited in 10 centers, were enrolled. The study was based on the statistical evaluation of questionnaires examining insomnia symptoms and excessive daytime sleepiness (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale), depression and anxiety (the Hamilton rating scale for depression and the Hamilton rating scale for anxiety) and pain (Numeric Pain Intensity Scale and Short Form of Mc Gill Pain Questionnaire). The BMS patients reported a greater degree of sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression as compared with the controls, highlighting the interrelation between sleep and mood. Sleep disturbance could influence the quality of life of BMS patients and could be a possible treatment target.