The Electrical Activity of the Orbicularis Oris Muscle in Children with Down Syndrome-A Preliminary Study.

Liliana Szyszka-Sommerfeld,Magdalena Sycińska-Dziarnowska,Sławomir Wilczyński,Anna Turkina,Monika Machoy,Krzysztof Woźniak,Gianrico Spagnuolo

doi:10.3390/jcm10235611

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the electrical activity of the superior (SOO) and inferior (IOO) orbicularis oris muscles in children with Down syndrome (DS) and in children without DS. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 subjects were eligible to participate in the later stages of the research—15 subjects with DS (mean age 10.1 ± 1.1) and 15 healthy controls (mean age 9.8 ± 1.0). The electrical potentials of the SOO and IOO muscles were recorded using a DAB-Bluetooth electromyography machine (Zebris Medical GmbH, Germany) during the following tasks: At clinical rest, saliva swallowing, lip protrusion, lip compression, and production of the syllable/pa/. The Mann–Whitney U test was conducted to compare the study results between the groups. An analysis of the electromyographical (EMG) recordings showed that the electrical activity of the orbicularis oris muscle in children with DS and lip incompetence was significantly higher compared to healthy children during saliva swallowing, lip compression, and when producing the syllable/pa/, and this may suggest greater muscular effort due to the need to seal the lips during these functional conditions.

Highlights

The authors measured the electrical activity of the superior orbicularis oris muscle in subjects with Down syndrome (DS) and healthy subjects with marked hypotonia of the facial muscles in various conditions, such as when the mandible is at rest, the lips are placed in a whistling position, and during maximum intercuspation
They found the electromyography signals of the superior orbicularis oris (SOO) muscle when the lips are placed in a whistling position were significantly higher in individuals with Down syndrome compared to a neurotypical group of subjects
The finding of the present research is that the higher EMG activity observed in the superior and inferior orbicularis oris muscles in children with incompetent lips (IL) during some of the tasks performed may imply a higher muscular effort due to the need to seal the lips during these functional conditions

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Down syndrome (DS) is a chromosomal anomaly caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in pair 21, which was originally described by John Langdon Haydon Down in 1866 [1]. This genetic disorder is associated with mental impairment at many levels, as well as with disruptions in dentofacial aesthetics and dysfunctions of the masticatory organ that may negatively impact the health and quality of life of DS patients [2–4]. Individuals with Down syndrome constitute a group of patients with special oral health needs

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