A Controlled Daytime Challenge of Motor Performance and Vigilance in Sleep Bruxers

Abstract

Many etiological factors have been suggested for sleep bruxism. Among these, elevated mental and physical alertness has been proposed to characterize sleep bruxers. The present study tests the hypothesis that, during the day-time, sleep bruxers are more vigilant and more prone to react to a motor command than are control subjects. Seven sleep bruxers, diagnosed polysomnographically according to validated research criteria, were matched for age and gender to seven control subjects. A simple reaction time task was selected to assess daytime vigilance and motor responsiveness. The following physiological measures were recorded: reaction time, error rate, electroencephalography, electrocardiography, electromyography, and video detection of body movements. Analysis of these variables showed no differences between groups. During the test, bruxers and controls showed a parallel decrease in EEG vigilance and heart rate over time. Frequency of orofacial and body movements was the same in both groups, and no clenching activity was observed during the experimental test. Subjects' visual analog scale ratings revealed that both controls and bruxers were more competitive after the test than before, and bruxers were slightly more anxious than controls before and after the test. Together, the results indicate that sleep bruxers are neither more vigilant nor more prone to react to a motor command during the daytime than are control subjects.

Psychic and occlusal factors in bruxers

“…16 An increased level of anxiety was found in sleep bruxers also in a controlled polysomnographical study to vigilance and reaction time. 36 Findings of an increased stress sensitivity characterizing bruxers are particularly interesting, since the existence of a stressbruxism relationship has been proposed by many. [17][18][19] By contrast, a study investigating the amount of selfreported stress in relation to electromyographically recorded bruxism during the night before the stress report (anticipatory stress) and the night following the report (current stress) found no association between stress and bruxism.…”

Neurobiological Mechanisms Involved in Sleep Bruxism

“…Special attention is given to the role of the cardiac/autonomic system, as well as to brain cortical electroencephalographic (EEG) activation and the neurochemical processes associated with motoneuron excitability in relation to sleep. The role of peripheral sensory inputs (e.g., periodontal) and of cognitive-behavioral factors (e.g., stress, anxiety, personality) in SB has been covered elsewhere, and we refer readers to recent publications (Clark et al, 1999;Major et al, 1999;Bader and Lavigne, 2000;Kato et al, 2003a).…”

Tinnitus and a Linked Stomatognathic System

“…Besides exceeding the structural tolerance of the biological tissues, it triggers a cascade of primary and referred symptomatology ( Figure 1). 13,14,15,16,17 Fig. 1.…”