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Effect of a nociceptive trigeminal inhibitory splint on electromyographic activity in jaw closing muscles during sleep
Author(s) -
BAADHANSEN L.,
JADIDI F.,
CASTRILLON E.,
THOMSEN P. B.,
SVENSSON P.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of oral rehabilitation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.991
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2842
pISSN - 0305-182X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2842.2006.01717.x
Subject(s) - closing (real estate) , splint (medicine) , nociception , medicine , electromyography , sleep bruxism , sleep (system call) , anesthesia , physical medicine and rehabilitation , orthodontics , computer science , receptor , political science , law , operating system
summary The nociceptive trigeminal inhibitory (NTI) splint has been claimed to decrease the electromyographic (EMG) activity of jaw‐closing muscles and relieve symptoms of various types of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and bruxism. The present study was designed to address the question about EMG‐changes during sleep. Ten patients (age: 23–39 years) with a self‐report of tooth‐grinding during sleep were recruited. Patients were examined at baseline and after each treatment period with the use of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD. A portable EMG‐device was used to record EMG‐activity from the masseter muscle during sleep. The patients received two 2‐week splint treatments in a randomized cross‐over fashion; an NTI splint and a standard flat occlusal splint (OS). EMG data were analysed according to published criteria. Using a 10% of maximum clenching EMG‐activity cut‐off threshold to determine the number of EMG‐events h −1 of sleep, the NTI splint was associated with a significant reduction (9·2 ± 3·2 events h −1 ) compared with baseline EMG (19·3 ± 4·0; anova : P = 0·004, Tukey post hoc : P = 0·006), whereas there were no differences between the OS (16·2 ± 4·7) and baseline EMG (19·2 ± 4·1; P = 0·716). There were no effects of either NTI or OS on clinical outcome measures ( anova s: P > 0·194). This short‐term study indicated a strong inhibitory effect on EMG‐activity in jaw closing muscles during sleep of the NTI, but not the OS. However, the EMG‐activity was not directly related to clinical outcome. Further studies will be needed to determine long‐term effects and possible side effects of the NTI splint.