Biomedical subjects

Arjen J van Wijk

Publications and source records attributed to Arjen J van Wijk.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

A numeric code for identifying patterns of human tooth agenesis: a new approach.

Human tooth agenesis involves the absence of one or more teeth and often refers to a genetic or a developmental disorder. Identifying whether certain patterns of tooth agenesis are more prevalent than others may prove valuable for treatment planning, as well as for genetic research into its etiology and development. In the present article a method is described where unique values are assigned to patterns of tooth agenesis. Using the idea of binary arithmetic, the absence or presence of teeth are represented by 1 and 0, and translated into corresponding unique values, the Tooth Agenesis Code (TAC). This procedure has an advantage over existing methods in that it allows for easier data analysis. The method described in this article can advance genetic research towards the etiology of tooth agenesis, allows researchers to communicate unequivocally the phenotypes of their studied cases and it can be used in other areas of oral pathology that also require pattern recognition.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2006

A short English version of the Fear of Dental Pain questionnaire.

Fear of dental pain is a highly relevant covariate in dental pain research. The present study was designed to develop a short version of the Fear of Dental Pain questionnaire (FDPQ) in order to facilitate research in this area. The original 18-item FDPQ was translated from Dutch to English, and data from previously published and unpublished studies (all Dutch-speaking subjects) were used to examine psychometric properties (n = 960). A short version was constructed based on psychometric properties and face validity of the items. Five items were selected for a short FDPQ. A strong correlation was found between the original and the short version (r = 0.96). Factor analysis revealed a one-dimensional solution, explaining approximately 76% of the variance, with high internal consistency (alpha = 0.87). The short FDPQ allows rapid identification, by dentists, of patients who may require special attention, longer appointments, and specific dental pain management. In addition, it would assist in the development and evaluation of tailored interventions aimed at this group.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Dutch translation of the Fear of Pain Questionnaire: factor structure, reliability and validity.

BACKGROUND: The Fear of Pain Questionnaire (FPQ-III) is a 30-item self-report instrument measuring fear of a variety of pain-related stimuli. AIM: The present study was undertaken to develop a Dutch version of the FPQ-III, to assess the instrument's psychometric qualities, to examine the suggested factor structure, and to relate the FPQ-III to other general psychological constructs in order to assess its construct validity. METHOD: The questionnaire was translated following the forward-backward method. The final version was filled out by (n = 274) psychology freshmen. A random half of the subjects was re-tested after five weeks. RESULTS: Satisfactory psychometric qualities were obtained (average alpha = 0.90 and test-retest reliability = 0.71). Factor analysis supported the three-factor structure and also the results concerning divergent and convergent validity show strong similarity with the results from other studies. CONCLUSIONS: The Dutch translation of the FPQ-III appears to be a valid equivalent of the original English version and does represent a unique construct.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Paired comparisons of sensory pain adjectives.

BACKGROUND: Language is an important tool in the communication of pain. The most widely known verbal pain assessment tool is the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). The MPQ scoring procedure implies equal weights for different pain describing adjectives with the same rank value. AIM: In the present study the relative intensity of the most severe sensory pain adjectives of the MPQ was examined by means of Thurstone's method of paired comparison. METHOD: A questionnaire was constructed to run a balanced pairwise comparison experiment with pain describing adjectives obtained from the Dutch version of the MPQ. The questionnaire was filled out by psychology freshmen (N=528). RESULTS: Subjects were highly consistent in their choices regarding the paired comparisons but showed substantial individual differences with respect to agreement about the relative intensity of the adjectives. However, some adjectives were clearly rated as more painful than others, these were lancinating, bursting and tearing. Adjectives seen as relatively least painful were clasping, shooting and freezing. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the MPQ scoring procedure is not entirely consistent with the relative ranking obtained in the present study. The authors do not consider the extent of this deviation to be a violation of one of the MPQ's underlying assumptions.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

The effect of written information on pain experience during periodontal probing.

OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of providing written information prior to periodontal treatment on the pain experience during periodontal probing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to the experimental or control condition and had to read the accompanying information. Information was manipulated to enhance perceptions of control. Anticipated pain (Numerical Rating Scale, NRS), dental anxiety (short version of the Dental Anxiety Inventory, S-DAI), and the Dental Control List were filled out before treatment; the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and experienced pain (NRS) were filled out after treatment. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in anticipated or experienced pain. However, the experimental condition evaluated treatment as less negative (MPQ-evaluative scale, F(1,55)=11.56, p<0.001), and scored lower on most measures. Subjects experiencing a discrepancy between desire for control and felt control showed the highest anticipatory distress (S-DAI, F(3,53)=6.32, p<0.001; anticipated pain, F(3,53)=3.28, p<0.03). CONCLUSION: Providing patients with written information prior to periodontal probing can alter the pain experience. Future research will be aimed at strengthening the impact of information.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2003

The Fear of Dental Pain questionnaire: construction and validity.

Anxiety, fear and pain play an important role in the context of dental treatment and patients' well-being. The Fear of Pain Questionnaire (FPQ)-III is a recently developed self-report questionnaire measuring pain-related fear of a variety of painful stimuli. The present study was undertaken in order to develop a dental equivalent of the FPQ-III, called the Fear of Dental Pain questionnaire (FDP), to determine standard psychometric characteristics and to assess the instruments' validity. Four experienced dentists generated the initial pool of items and two methodologists constructed the initial questionnaire. Two studies were performed. In the study one, a sample of psychology freshmen (n = 309) was taken in order to analyse response patterns. In study two, a sample (n = 176) of patients, dental students and the general population was examined. Results from both studies were used to determine reliability and validity. High internal consistency (0.93) with satisfactory test-retest reliability (0.75) was obtained. Factor analysis revealed a strong one-dimensional factor underlying almost all items. Finally, the proposed FDP version was related to a measure of dental fear and a general measure of fear of pain. All a priori hypotheses were confirmed, thereby providing evidence for the validity of the FDP. The FPD may prove to be a clinically useful tool in the dental setting, and a potentially important covariate in dental pain perception research.

Adult↗