CRITICAL APPRAISAL. Sleep Bruxism and Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Neurology
• Dental Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Sleep bruxism (SB) involves repetitive jaw muscle activity during sleep, identified as rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA).
• SB episodes are frequently linked to sleep arousals.
• Some patients report overlapping symptoms between SB and sleep disordered breathing (SDB).

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically appraise recent literature on the relationship between sleep bruxism and sleep disordered breathing.
• To clarify the potential causal links and co-occurrence of SDB and SB.

Main Methods:

• Review of three recent publications focusing on SDB and SB.
• Analysis of polysomnographic findings, specifically RMMA, to differentiate SB.
• Evaluation of existing evidence regarding the proposed compensatory role of SB in SDB.

Main Results:

• Evidence supports the frequent co-occurrence of SDB and SB.
• The reviewed studies indicate that SB and SDB are often concomitant disorders.
• No conclusive evidence was found to support the hypothesis that SDB directly causes SB.

Conclusions:

• Sleep bruxism and sleep disordered breathing frequently occur together.
• The hypothesis that sleep disordered breathing causes sleep bruxism lacks sufficient supporting evidence.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the complex relationship between SDB and SB.