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. 2022 Dec 29;20(1):581.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20010581.

Ecological Momentary Assessment of Masseter Muscle Activity in Patients with Bruxism

Diana Elena Vlăduțu  1 , Mihaela Ionescu  2 , Răzvan Mercuț  3 , Lorenzo Noveri  4 , Grigore Lăzărescu  1 , Sanda Mihaela Popescu  5 , Monica Scrieciu  1 , Horia Octavian Manolea  6 , Monica Mihaela Iacov Crăițoiu  1 , Alin Gabriel Ionescu  7 , Veronica Mercuț  1
Affiliations

Ecological Momentary Assessment of Masseter Muscle Activity in Patients with Bruxism

Diana Elena Vlăduțu et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

According to the International Bruxism Consensus, bruxism refers to the activity of the masticatory muscles reflecting contraction disorders, regardless of whether it is during sleep (SB) or an awake (AB) state. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the activity of the masseter muscle by surface electromyographic (sEMG) recordings. This study was performed on 20 participants with self-reported “possible bruxism” (study group) and 20 participants with no self-reported bruxism (control group); all participants underwent an evaluation of the masseter muscle activity using the dia-BRUXO device, which provides numerical parameters regarding sEMG (the total duration and the type of bruxism specific events, the effort made by the masticatory muscles during the recording period, and the personal bruxism index of each participant). Participants from the study group presented more clenching events during AB, three times more frequent than the control group (p = 0.002, Mann−Whitney U test); for SB, the frequency of clenching and grinding events was comparable within the study group, being more frequent than for the control group; the mean value of the effort index was higher for AB (1.177%) than SB (0.470%) and the same for the duration index, with a mean value of 2.788% for AB and 1.054% for SB. All participants from the control group presented reduced values for all acquired parameters. Overall, the personal bruxism index in AB was approximately four times higher for the study group (2.251%) compared to the control group (0.585%) (p < 0.005, Mann−Whitney U test). Similar values were obtained for SB. All participants with “possible bruxism” from the study group presented a higher activity of the masseter muscle, which is specific for bruxism, thus being defined as “definite bruxism”.

Keywords: EMG; bruxism; clenching; grinding; masseter muscle; muscular contractions.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
sEMG events (expressed by root–mean–square voltage at a specific moment of time): (a) tonic contraction, (b) rhythmic or phasic contraction, (c) light grinding or rubbing of the teeth, (d) severe grinding, (e) mandibular clenching, and (f) pushing the mandible.
Figure 1
Figure 1
sEMG events (expressed by root–mean–square voltage at a specific moment of time): (a) tonic contraction, (b) rhythmic or phasic contraction, (c) light grinding or rubbing of the teeth, (d) severe grinding, (e) mandibular clenching, and (f) pushing the mandible.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparative analysis of the summary of relevant activities recorded at the masseter level (sleep time interval—green color, awake time interval—red color, detachment time interval—yellow color) for: (a,c,e,g,i) one participant from the study group and (b,d,f,h,j) one participant from the control group.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distribution of clenching, grinding, and other types of events, for the two groups, during nighttime.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Distribution of clenching, grinding, and other types of events, for the two groups, during daytime.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Evolution of the values of the indices for bruxism and for the activity of the masseter muscle: (a) sleep state and (b) awake state.
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