applied sciences Review Assessment and Brain Training of Patients Experiencing Head and Facial Pain with a Distortion of Orofacial Somatorepresentation: A Narrative Review Harry von Piekartz 1,2,* and Alba Paris-Alemany 3,4 1 Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of Applied Science Osnabruck, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany 2 Clinic for Craniofacial Therapy and Applied Pain Science, 7631 CP Ootmarsum, The Netherlands 3 Motion in Brains Research Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Science of The Movement (INCIMOV), Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios La Salle, 28023 Madrid, Spain;
[email protected] 4 Instituto de Dolor Craneofacial y Neuromusculoesquelético (INDCRAN), 28008 Madrid, Spain * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: The management of patients experiencing chronic orofacial pain is a great challenge, due to the complexity of chronic pain itself, combined with an increased peripheral sensitization in the craniofacial itself. Therefore, patients with orofacial pain may present a clear distortion of the somatorepresentation after some time. In this review, the authors develop a neurophysiological explanation of orofacial distortion, as well as propose assessment and treatment options, based on scarcely available scientific evidence and their own clinical experience. The assessments of facial Citation: von Piekartz, H.; somatosensory, cognitive-affective and motor dysfunctions are crucial to establish the most accurate Paris-Alemany, A. Assessment and treatment; the assessment tools are described in the article. Two-point discrimination, laterality Brain Training of Patients recognition and emotion recognition are altered in patients with orofacial pain. Other sensorimotor Experiencing Head and Facial Pain assessment tools, such as motor acuity and auditory acuity, are also explained.