ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between chronic stress and temporalis muscle activity during four nights. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-four female subjects were recruited in five dental practices located in different areas of the federal state of Saarland, Germany (dental practice network in Saarland). The following inclusion criteria were used: female, aged between 18 and 65, no somatization or depression, and no pain medication, graded chronic pain status < 3. Both subjects reporting about sleep bruxism and subjects negating sleep bruxism during anamnesis were included. Anamnestic issues, sleep bruxism, anxiety, and chronic stress were assessed using validated questionnaires. Temporalis muscle activity was measured for four nights using a portable electromyographic device. Correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation (Spearman-correlation) between chronic stress and number of temporalis muscle episodes/hour and between anxiety and the number of episodes/hour. RESULTS: The analysis showed that the factors "work overload" (adulthood chronic stress because of too many demands at work) and "pressure to perform" (necessity to be successful at work) were significantly correlated with the number of temporalis muscle episodes per hour. In contrast, anxiety was not correlated with temporalis muscle episodes per hour. CONCLUSIONS: Work-related chronic stress seems to be associated with an increased level of temporalis muscle activity during sleep. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: During anamnesis, work-related aspects should be assessed in females presenting with sleep-bruxism.
Subject(s)
Chronic Pain/physiopathology , Sleep Bruxism/physiopathology , Stress, Psychological/physiopathology , Temporal Muscle/physiopathology , Temporomandibular Joint Disorders/physiopathology , Work/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Anxiety/epidemiology , Anxiety/physiopathology , Chronic Pain/epidemiology , Chronic Pain/psychology , Electromyography , Female , Germany/epidemiology , Humans , Middle Aged , Pain Measurement , Pilot Projects , Sleep Bruxism/epidemiology , Stress, Psychological/epidemiology , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Temporomandibular Joint Disorders/epidemiology , Temporomandibular Joint Disorders/psychologyABSTRACT
STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess sleep-associated aspects of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) with myofascial pain (MP) in the orofacial area of patients and controls. MEASUREMENTS: Three hundred five female patients were screened to find 44 participants fulfilling the inclusion criteria, 22 suffering from MP and 22 in a control group. Sleep quality was assessed by use of the Pittsburgh Sleep-Quality-Index (PSQI) and a validated German sleep questionnaire (SF-AR). Tooth wear was assessed and anterior temporalis muscle activity was measured at home for several nights by use of a portable electromyography (EMG) device. RESULTS: 22 patients (45.0 ± 13.6 years) and 22 controls (45.2 ± 9.0 years) were recruited. The PSQI sum-score was 7.5 ± 3.7 for patients and 4.4 ± 3.0 for controls (p = 0.006). The SF-AR showed that 23% of the controls and 14% of the patients were "long sleepers". The overall number of episodes in the two groups was not significantly different (4.10 ± 2.65 versus 4.57 ± 1.99 episodes per hour). However, more patients had temporalis muscle activity possibly related to SB during all four consecutive nights (p = 0.04). According to the International Classification of Sleep Disorders - Third Edition (ICSD-3) criteria, 13.6% of the controls and 71.4% of the patients (p < 0.001) showed SB. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep-associated disturbances, including reduction of sleep quality and greater prevalence of SB and facial pain in the morning, occurred significantly more often among TMD patients. Additionally, SB fluctuated over the nights especially in controls. This should be taken into consideration when the prevalence of SB is assessed by use of EMG.
