Standard Correction of Vision Worsens EMG Activity of Pericranial Muscles in Chronic TMD Subjects

Annalisa Monaco,Ruggero Cattaneo,Mario Giannoni,Eleonora Ortu,Pierdomenico D’Andrea,Davide Pietropaoli,Alessandra Mummolo

doi:10.1155/2020/3932476

Abstract

Recent studies showed an evident correlation between the stomatognathic system and the visual system. These results suggest that subjects who are affected by both temporomandibular (TMD) disorders and refractive disorders present with altered control of pericranial musculature tone and higher open-eye electromyographic (EMG) values. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of standard vision correction on EMG in subjects suffering from TMD compared with application of the same vision treatments to non-TMD subjects. 40 subjects were enrolled in this study. The test group included 20 myopic subjects and also included patients with TMD. The control group included 20 healthy myopic subjects. All of the participants underwent a complete ocular examination and a sEMG analysis. The results showed that TMD subjects with vision disorders that are corrected with standard glasses present EMG values that are significantly higher than those presented by non-TMD subjects with vision disorders and standard glasses. Infact, in TMD subjects, eye correction did not have a positive effect on the stomatognathic or pericranial musculature.

Highlights

A correlation between the stomatognathic system and the visual system has been suggested on the basis of clinical and instrumental observations
Discussion e data obtained in this study indicate that temporomandibular disorders (TMD) subjects with vision disorders that are corrected with standard glasses present EMG values that are significantly higher than those presented by non-TMD subjects with vision disorders and standard glasses
Research data from various fields are consistent with the hypothesis that chronic TMD belongs to a broad category of chronic pain disorders in which pathogenesis of a central type, rather than a peripheral type, plays a key role. us, the present work supports an indirect relationship of a probable central nature between visual and stomatognathic musculature that are not directly related to one another

Summary

Introduction

A correlation between the stomatognathic system and the visual system has been suggested on the basis of clinical and instrumental observations. Ese observations indicate that visual input, per se, does not induce an increase or a significant change in the electric activity of the muscles correlated to the stomatognathic system in healthy individuals. Under rest conditions and with their eyes closed, adult individuals suffering from masticatory muscle pain show an increase in their EMG activity [5]. While such feedback appears to be of greater statistical importance than clinical importance, there are data that suggest that these values are higher when eyes are open [6]

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