Mean power frequency shift during fatigue and recovery in patients with craniomandibular disorders

EMG spectral shifts of anterior temporal and medial masseter muscles were evaluated. Mean power frequency (MPF) shift during fatigue and recovery of 46 healthy subjects and 46 patients with craniomandibular disorder were recorded at the beginning and the end of fatiguing clenching, then 3, 8, 13 and 18 min following the fatiguing clenching. The reference clenching force was 80% of each subject's maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Recording was stopped when subjects felt pain or discomfort. Significance was found between the healthy group (N) and the diseases group (CMD) in the three following points: (i) the mean of MPF values of the masseter muscles at the end of fatiguing clenching; (ii) the recovery pattern of the temporal muscles; and (iii) MPF shift induced by fatiguing clenching. Our results therefore suggest that MPF reflects several aspects of craniomandibular disorders. Thus, measuring fatigue and recovery MPF could be useful in the screening of CMD.