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Chewing pattern in patients with Meige's syndrome
Marcello M Mascia1, Josep Valls-Solé, Maria J Martí
1Istituto di Neurologia, Ospedale San Giovanni di Dio, Cagliari, Italy.
Movement Disorders : Official Journal of the Movement Disorder Society
|September 25, 2004
Summary
Meige's syndrome patients show abnormal chewing and swallowing movements due to altered muscle activity. This study reveals motor control issues in the basal ganglia affecting facial muscles during mastication.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Motor Control
- Electromyography
Background:
- Meige's syndrome involves facial motor dysfunction, including eye spasms and oromandibular dystonia.
- Pathophysiology of eye spasms is studied, but abnormal perioral movements in Meige's syndrome are less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate abnormal perioral movements in Meige's syndrome during chewing and swallowing.
- To hypothesize that action-related dystonic features are revealed by analyzing semi-automatic rhythmic movements.
Main Methods:
- Surface electromyographic (EMG) activity of masseter (MAS) and orbicularis oris (OOr) muscles was recorded in 7 Meige's syndrome patients and 7 healthy volunteers.
- Subjects were instructed to munch and swallow a muffin while muscle activity was monitored.
Main Results:
- Healthy subjects displayed rhythmic EMG patterns during chewing and tonic cocontraction during swallowing.
- Meige's syndrome patients exhibited prolonged muscle activity, frequent cocontraction, and loss of rhythmicity during chewing.
- Abnormalities were observed in the transition phase from chewing to swallowing.
Conclusions:
- Abnormal chewing and swallowing movements in Meige's syndrome patients suggest an expression of abnormal basal ganglia motor control.
- These findings may relate to brainstem mastication pattern generators affected by dystonia.