Heart rate changes associated with rhythmic masticatory muscle activities and limb movements in sleep bruxers: Preliminary findings

Changes in heart rate related to rhythmic masticatory muscle activities and limb movements in patients with sleep bruxism

“…This might be due to a higher percentage of RMMAs + LMs associated with longer cortical arousals (eg AW) than isolated RMMAs or isolated LMs . Second, the duration of movement events might be associated with duration and amplitude of HR increases . Third, the duration of movement events and parameters of HR increases associated with mixed RMMAs were significantly different from those associated with phasic and tonic RMMAs, which might be due to a significantly higher proportion of mixed RMMAs associated with AW and longer duration of mixed RMMAs than that of tonic and phasic RMMAs, which was correlated with the parameters of HR increases associated with RMMAs .…”

“…The data from the polysomnographic recordings in the second night were used for further confirmation of SB and data analysis described below. Polysomnographic recordings of EEG (F3‐A2, F4‐A1, C3‐A2, C4‐A1, O1‐A2 and O2‐A1), electrocardiographic (ECG) and electrooculographic (EOG) activities as well as thoracic and abdominal respiration, nasal air flow, body posture and capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2) in index finger or thumb were performed . In addition, EMG activities from mylohyoid, bilateral masseter and limb muscles (bilateral gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscle, and bilateral flexor and extensor carpi radialis) were also recorded.…”

“…HR increases related to RMMAs/LMs were defined when HR increased above two standard deviations (SD) of the baseline HR (Figure ), and there was a time overlap between RMMAs/LMs and HR increases. Since the onset of HR increases occurred less than 10 seconds before the SB episodes, a period of 10 second stable HR (10‐20 seconds before the onset of RMMAs/LMs) was used to calculate mean baseline value and SD as previously described . The onset and offset of HR increases were defined as the time points when HR increased above and fell below the mean plus 2 times SD, respectively.…”

“…Then, duration of HR increases (ie duration between the onset and offset of HR increases) was determined. The amplitude of HR increases [peak HR value ‐ (baseline mean + 2SD)] and time to reach peak HR (interval between the onset of HR increases and time point of peak HR) were calculated as previously described …”

“…These previous findings suggest that HR increases may be associated with LMs in addition to RMMAs/SB episodes. Indeed, recent study from our laboratory showed that the HR increases occurred with RMMAs and LMs . Given above, it would be interesting to know whether there were any differences between HR increases associated with isolated RMMAs, RMMAs accompanied by LMs (RMMAs + LMs), and isolated LMs, between HR increases associated with different types of RMMAs.…”