Yogyakarta, 4 March 2025 – The Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FKG UGM), held another closed doctoral examination for a student of the Doctoral Program in Dental Sciences. In the exam, conducted at the FKG UGM Meeting Room, doctoral candidate Amilia Ramadhani successfully defended her dissertation titled: “The Potential of Methylcobalamin as a Therapy for Post-Traumatic Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain (Study on a Chronic Constriction Injury Model of the Infraorbital Nerve in Male Sprague Dawley Rats).”
The examination was chaired by Prof. Dr. drg. Widowati Siswomihardjo, MS., Head of the Doctoral Program in Dental Sciences, and attended by both internal and external examiners, including: drg. Nunuk Purwanti, MKes., PhD., Dr. drg. Maria Goreti Widiastuti, Sp.BMM(K), Dr. Med. dr. Indwiani Astuti, Dr. drg. Dibyo Pramono, SU., MDSc., Dr. drg. Retno Ardhani, MSc., Dr. drh. Dhirgo Aji, MP., Dr. drg. Alma Linggar Jonarta, MKes. from UGM, and Prof. Dr. dr. Fitranto Arjadi, MKes. from Universitas Jenderal Soedirman.
In her research, Amilia demonstrated that the Chronic Constriction Injury (CCI) model on the infraorbital nerve of male rats caused reduced food intake and body weight, as well as induced neuropathic pain. By administering methylcobalamin for 15 to 30 days, she found an increase in myelin sheath thickness and improved response to mechanical allodynia pain. These findings open the potential for developing new therapies to treat facial nerve pain, a condition frequently encountered in clinical practice.
The examiners commended Amilia’s research and encouraged further collaboration through inter-institutional partnerships focusing on methylcobalamin drug delivery systems. The continuation of this study is highly anticipated by clinicians, particularly in developing effective therapies for post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathic pain.
Amilia Ramadhani’s success in this doctoral examination marks an important milestone in her academic career and highlights FKG UGM’s contribution to addressing health challenges through innovative research. Her dissertation is expected to pave the way for the development of therapies that can be applied in clinical practice, benefitting the wider community.
Author: Shinta | Contributor: Suci Agustina | Photo: Doc. of Doctoral Program in Dental Science
