Quantitative imaging biomarkers for myofascial pain in the jaw muscles
Official title: Development and Clinical Translation of RPBM for Quantitative Assessment of Myofascial Pain
Funded at Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11592206 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new imaging approach uses MRI-based diffusion measurements to measure muscle fiber properties in people with masticatory myofascial pain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $3,479,143 |
| NIH project number | 4R33AT012270-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11592206 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with masticatory myofascial pain syndrome or suspected MMPS who can undergo MRI.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without MMPS or those unable to have MRI scans may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This project aims to translate a non-invasive MRI biomarker approach into clinical use for myofascial pain affecting the jaw muscles. By analyzing diffusion tensor MRI data with varying diffusion times, researchers plan to derive measures of myofiber diameter, sarcolemma permeability, and sarcomere length that may reflect tissue changes associated with MMPS. The study builds on prior simulations, animal work, and human muscle studies to test the random permeable barrier model in a clinical context. If successful, these biomarkers could help track treatment responses and guide new therapies for MMPS.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from a non-invasive tool to monitor disease activity and response to treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work supports diffusion-based biomarkers in skeletal muscle, but this approach is novel for MMPS and translational to clinic.
Where this research is happening
-
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kim, Sungheon Gene — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Kim, Sungheon Gene
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.