Investigation of the mechanism by which awake bruxism is involved sleep apnea syndrome onset

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K10224
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57050:Prosthodontics-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Kawakami Shigehisa 岡山大学, 歯学部, 客員研究員 (60708072)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 加藤 聖也 岡山大学, 大学病院, 医員 (10825889) ; 萬田 陽介 岡山大学, 医歯薬学域, 助教 (60794477)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ブラキシズム / 舌筋 / 睡眠時無呼吸症候群 / 筋電図 / 筋疲労

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Previous studies have found a correlation between awake bruxism and sleep apnea syndrome. We suspected the muscle fatigue of the tongue muscle due to awake bruxism caused sleep apnea syndrome onset and investigated the mechanism in this study. Although it was difficult to evaluate muscle fatigue of the tongue muscle by the conventional method, we focused on the grouped discharge in the surface EMG waveform that appears during fatigue and established an evaluation method. It was confirmed that continuous and relatively strong occlusal contact caused muscle fatigue of the tongue muscle. This study showed that the tongue fatigue may be involved in the development of sleep apnea syndrome onset.

Free Research Field

歯科補綴学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

筋疲労の評価法として平均周波数の低下が用いられるが、表面筋電図電極の貼付場所により周波数は変化するため変化の評価はできなかった。本研究で用いた群化放電の発現による筋疲労評価法は貼付部位に影響を受けないため、筋疲労の研究において重要な知見と考える。また、持続的な咬合接触が舌筋の疲労に関与しているという知見により、睡眠時無呼吸症候群の発現メカニズム解明に繋がれば、生命に重大な影響を与える疾患の予防に繋がるため、非常に大きな社会的意義があると考える。