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Weak association between sleep bruxism and obstructive sleep apnea. A sleep laboratory study
Miku Saito1, Taihiko Yamaguchi2, Saki Mikami3
1Department of Crown and Bridge Prosthodontics, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 13 Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8586, Japan.
Sleep & Breathing = Schlaf & Atmung
|November 14, 2015
Summary
Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (OSAH) and sleep bruxism (SB) may not be strongly linked. Apnea events correlate with other sleep movements, not SB, suggesting different underlying causes for these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Dental Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (OSAH) and sleep bruxism (SB) are common sleep disorders.
- The relationship between OSAH and SB remains unclear, with no definitive causal links established.
- Investigating the association between specific breathing and jaw muscle events is crucial for understanding their interplay.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the associations between specific breathing events (OSAH) and jaw muscle activity (SB).
- To analyze these associations in individuals reporting awareness of both OSAH and SB.
Main Methods:
- Polysomnography and audio-video data from 59 patients with a history of both OSAH and SB were analyzed.
- Masseteric bursts were categorized into sleep rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA/SB), other sleep oromotor activity (Sleep-OMA), and wake oromotor activity (Wake-OMA).
- Spearman's rank correlation was used to analyze relationships between event occurrences and indices like AHI, AI, BMI, gender, and age.
Main Results:
- Concomitant OSAH and SB were confirmed in only 50.8% of subjects reporting both conditions.
- Moderate correlations were observed between RMMA/SB episodes and arousal index (AI).
- Sleep-OMA bursts correlated with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), while Wake-OMA bursts correlated with BMI.
Conclusions:
- Sleep arousals are not strongly associated with the onset of RMMA/SB in patients with concomitant SB and OSAH.
- Apnea-hypopnea events are linked to increased non-SB sleep oromotor activity, not SB itself.
- SB and OSAH likely arise from distinct underlying mechanisms during sleep.
