TMD pain is partly heritable: a systematic review of family studies and genetic association studies

The aim of this study was to describe the current knowledge on the role of heritability in TMD pain through a systematic review of the literature, including familiar aggregation studies and genetic association studies. For the systematic search of the literature, the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed. In total, 21 studies were included in the review, including five familiar aggregation studies and 16 genetic association studies. From both familiar aggregation studies and genetic association studies, modest evidence for the role of heritability in TMD pain was found. The literature mainly suggests genetic contributions from candidate genes that encode proteins involved in the processing of painful stimuli from the serotonergic and catecholaminergic system. This systematic review shows that the evidence for the role of heritability in the development of TMD pain is cumulating.