Jaw tremor as a physiological biomarker of bruxism.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To determine if sleep bruxism is associated with abnormal physiological tremor of the jaw during a visually-guided bite force control task.

METHODS:

Healthy participants and patients with sleep bruxism were given visual feedback of their bite force and asked to trace triangular target trajectories (duration=20s, peak force <35% maximum voluntary force). Bite force control was quantified in terms of the power spectra of force fluctuations, masseter EMG activity, and force-to-EMG coherence.

RESULTS:

Patients had greater jaw force tremor at ∼8 Hz relative to controls, along with increased masseter EMG activity and force-to-EMG coherence in the same frequency range. Patients also showed lower force-to-EMG coherence at low frequencies (<3 Hz), but greater coherence at high frequencies (20-40 Hz). Finally, patients had greater 6-10 Hz force tremor during periods of descending vs. ascending force, while controls showed no difference in tremor with respect to force dynamics.

CONCLUSION:

Patients with bruxism have abnormal jaw tremor when engaged in a visually-guided bite force task.

SIGNIFICANCE:

Measurement of jaw tremor may aid in the detection/evaluation of bruxism. In light of previous literature, our results also suggest that bruxism is marked by abnormal or mishandled peripheral feedback from the teeth.

• Authors: C M Laine, Ş U Yavuz, J M D'Amico, M A Gorassini, K S Türker, D Farina
• Journal: Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (Clin Neurophysiol) Vol. 126 Issue 9 Pg. 1746-53 (Sep 2015) ISSN: 1872-8952 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 25533275 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Topics

• Adult
• Bite Force
• Cohort Studies
• Female
• Humans
• Jaw (pathology, physiology)
• Male
• Masseter Muscle (physiology)
• Muscle Contraction (physiology)
• Sleep Bruxism (diagnosis, physiopathology)
• Tremor (diagnosis, physiopathology)
• Young Adult