Abstract
The study assessed masticatory muscle electromyographic (EMG) activity in both children diagnosed with pain-related temporomandibular disorders (TMD-P) and awake bruxism (AB) and in children without TMD, as well as the diagnostic value of surface electromyography (sEMG) in diagnosing TMD-P in subjects with AB. After evaluation based on the Axis I of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD), 30 children diagnosed with myofascial pain were included in the myofascial pain group and 30 children without TMD diagnosis comprised the control group (mean age of 9.49 ± 1.34 years). The activity of the anterior temporal (TA) and masseter (MM) muscle was assessed bilaterally using a DAB-Bluetooth device (zebris Medical GmBH, Germany) at rest and during maximum voluntary clenching (MVC). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the normalized sEMG data. Statistically significant intergroup differences were observed in TA and MM muscle EMG activity at rest and during MVC. Moderate degree of sEMG accuracy in discriminating between TMD-P and non-TMD children was observed for TAmean, left MM, and MMmean EMG muscle activity at rest. sEMG can be a useful tool in assessing myofascial TMD pain in patients with AB.
Highlights
Bruxism is an umbrella term for various masticatory muscle motor phenomena/behaviours of the masticatory muscles [1]
The first aim of this study was to assess the EMG activity of the masticatory muscles both in children diagnosed with myofascial temporomandibular disorders (TMD) pain and awake bruxism (AB) and in children without TMD
This study evaluates the electromyographic activity of the masticatory muscles in children with clinically diagnosed myofascial TMD pain and AB
Summary
Bruxism is an umbrella term for various masticatory muscle motor phenomena/behaviours of the masticatory muscles [1]. AB “is not a movement disorder in otherwise healthy individuals” according to the current consensus but rather a behaviour that may be a risk (and/or protective) factor with some possible clinical consequences. In this light, bruxism is seen as a risk factor that may have possible negative oral health results, such as severe pain in the masticatory muscles or temporomandibular joint (TMJ), extreme mechanical tooth wear, cracked teeth, and/or prosthodontic problems [2,3]. The limited cognitive ability of many children, especially the youngest, to answer the questionnaire and to undergo a physical examination may undermine the reliability of the results It is the validated diagnostic method in young patients. Certain instruments may provide important quantitative data that may prove useful in the clinical assessment of TMD [16,17]
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