Associated Conditions and Clinical Significance of Awake Bruxism

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Awakebruxism is defined as an oral parafunctional activity that includes clenching and grinding of teeth during wakefulness. Confirming the possible related anatomy and the clinical significance of awake bruxism in Yong-in Hyoja Geriatric Hospital is the aim of this study. METHODS: We analyzed the medical records of 503 patients who were admitted in hospital from April to June 2005. After the recognition of bruxism, the clinical, brain imaging studies and statistical parametric mapping(SPM) of Brain SPECT were done. RESULTS: (1) In each disease group, 5 among 125 Alzheimer's disease(AD) patients(4.0%, 5/125), 3 among 11 frontotemporal dementia(FTD) patients(27.3%; 3/11), 7 among 230 stroke patients(including two patients related with citalopram, 3.0%; 7/230), 1 among 45 Parkinson's disease patients(2.2%; 1/45), and 4 hydrocephalus patient(23.5%; 4/ 17) had bruxism. (2) Even though awake bruxism occurred in early stage after stroke onset, it occurred in late stage after AD and FTD onset. This occurred in far advanced stage of AD, while it occurred in moderately advanced stage of FTD and stroke. (3) SPM analysis in AD and FTD patients with awake bruxism revealed significant hypoperfusion in frontotemporal and other subcortical structures. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that awake bruxism is encountered in various diseases in geriatric hospital. It is closely related frontotemporal lobe dysfunction in degenerative dementia like FTD and AD. Therefore it can be regarded as one of marker of frontal or related subcortical neurological sign in degenerative dementia.