Infield masticatory muscle activity in subjects with pain-related temporomandibular disorders diagnoses

Pain-related temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are the most prevalent conditions among TMDs. There is contrasting evidence available for association of pain-related TMD and masticatory muscle activity (MMA). The present investigation assesses the associations between MMA levels of masseter and temporalis muscles during awake and sleep among pain-related TMD diagnostic groups.

The department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences, University at Buffalo. Twenty females and six males participated in this study.

Using the diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (DC-TMDs), participants were diagnostically categorized. Subjects used a custom monitoring system, which recorded infield muscle activities. A factorial model tested for association between independent variable (muscle, time period, MMA level, and diagnostic group) effects and the logarithm of MMA. Greenhouse-Geisser test was used to determine any statistically significant associations (p≤0.003).

No statistically significant association was found between four-way, three-way, and two-way analyses. However, among the main effects, range of magnitudes was the only variable to be statistically significant. Although the data suggest a trend of increased masseter MMA in the pain-related TMD diagnoses group both during awake and sleep time periods, such observation is not maintained for the temporalis muscle. In addition, temporalis MMA was found to be higher in the pain-related TMD diagnoses group only at extreme activity levels (<25 and ≥80% ranges).

This data support the association between masticatory muscle hyperactivity and painful TMD conditions.