Concomitant mandibular and head‐neck movementsduring jaw opening–closing in man

Abstract

To test the hypothesis of a functional relationship between the human mandibular and cranio‐cervical motor systems, head‐neck movements during voluntary mandibular movements were studied in 10 healthy young adults, using a wireless optoelectronic system for three‐dimensional (3D) movement recording. The subjects, unaware of the underlying aim of the study, were instructed to perform maximal jaw opening–closing tasks at fast and slow speed. Movements were quantified as 3D movement amplitudes. A consistent finding in all subjects was parallel and coordinated head‐neck movements during both fast and slow jaw opening–closing tasks. Jaw opening was always accompanied by head‐neck extension and jaw closing by head‐neck flexion. Combined movement and electromyographic recordings showed concomitant neck muscle activity during head‐neck movements, indicative of an active repositioning of the head. No differences in 3D movement amplitudes could be seen with respect to speed. The head movement was 50% of the mandibular movement during jaw opening, but significantly smaller (30–40%), during the jaw closing phase. In repeated tests, the 3D movement amplitudes of the concomitant head movements were less variable during slow jaw movement and during the jaw opening phase, than during fast and jaw closing movements, suggesting speed‐ and phase‐related differences in the mechanisms controlling the integrated mandibular and head‐neck motor acts. The present results give further support to the concept of a functional trigemino‐cervical coupling during jaw activities in man.

Diadococinesia oral e função mastigatória em idosos saudáveis

“…In another study, the authors state that the bulk of the bolus and harder texture correlate with a greater head extension and greater amplitudes of mandible and head movement, during mastication (27) . Studies also show that extension, flexion and tipping movements of the head during chewing are expected (17,28,29) , reinforcing the existence of simultaneous and coordinated activity between the muscles of the neck and jaw (26) , although it is not clear how the regions affect one another (26) . In another study, the results showed exaggerated participation of perioral muscles and vertical jaw movements as movements associated with chewing, in institutionalized elderly (24) .…”

The Immediate Effects of Atlanto-occipital Joint Manipulation and Suboccipital Muscle Inhibition Technique on Active Mouth Opening and Pressure Pain Sensitivity Over Latent Myofascial Trigger Points in the Masticatory Muscles

“…Because there is a biomechanical relationship between the upper-cervical spine and the temporomandibular joint during active mouth opening, 7,51 it has been suggested that biomechanical adaptation of the jaw and the neck may be one possible reason why mouth opening increased after a cervical spine thrust manipulation. Nevertheless, the increase obtained in mouth opening following the atlanto-occipital manipulation cannot be considered as clinically relevant.…”

Effect of three different jaw positions on postural stability during standing

“…The muscles of the jaw and the neck-shoulder complex have been observed to co-contract during mandibular movements and clenching (Davies, 1979;Clark et al, 1993;Widmalm et al, 1988). This integrated activation of jaw and neck muscles is suggested to be controlled by a common central nervous network (Zafar et al, 2000;Eriksson et al, 1998). Other studies have highlighted the anatomical, biomechanical and neurological link between the jaw and neck regions (Brodie, 1950;Chang et al, 1988).…”