Relationship Between Selected Parameters and Bruxism

Sleep breathing disorders are a frequent and serious health problem in the Polish population. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder. The essence of OSA is repeated episodes of airway obstruction that occur repeatedly during sleep, resulting in a decrease in the level of partial oxygen in the blood. Increased tension in the upper respiratory muscles and throat vibrations often result in very loud snoring. Apnea episodes end with awakenings that cause sleep fragmentation, deep sleep deficiency, and REM phase. Such episodes occur repeatedly, over a dozen or even several dozen times per hour of sleep. The consequence of episodes of obstruction and fragmentation of sleep is ineffective, restless sleep, pathological daytime sleepiness, falling asleep against your own will, awakening with a feeling of stopping breath, shortness of breath or choking. Sleep fragmentation and repetitive episodes of hypoxia result in poor quality of life, chronic fatigue and an increased risk of traffic accidents. The direct consequences of apnea are blood hypoxia, increased heart rate and increased blood pressure. Common complications of OSA are hypertension, stroke, arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, pulmonary hypertension and heart failure. Untreated OSA increases the risk of premature death, especially in men under 50 years of age, contributing to the development of vascular endothelial dysfunction and an increase in cardiovascular risk.

The causal relationship between bruxism and apnea has not been clearly established so far. There is also a lack of research on the contribution of genetic factors to the emergence and severity of both conditions.The project will be implemented at the Sleep Laboratory at the Clinic of Internal, Occupational Diseases and Hypertension of the Medical University of Wrocław, which has a technical room with three computer stations, three polysomnographic devices. About 100 patients will be examined at the Department of Internal Diseases, Occupational and Hypertension and Clinical Oncology because of suspected bruxism during sleep. The full polysomnographic examination with video recording will be directed to patients from the Chewing Organ Dysfunction Clinic operating at the Department of Experimental Dentistry at the Medical University of Wrocław, who will be interviewed and have a comprehensive external and intra-oral examination according to Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC / TMD) and based on the guidelines of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine International Classification of Sleep Disorders, probable bruxism during sleep will be diagnosed. Polysomnograms will be evaluated in 30-second folds, according to standard sleep criteria. PSG results will include data on sleep latency, total sleep time (TST) and sleep performance (%) as well as assessment of the N1, N2, N3 and REM phases. Respiratory pathological events will be assessed according to the American Sleep Academy standards. Apnea will be defined as no airflow through the airways for more than 10 seconds. Shortness of breath will be defined as a reduction in respiratory amplitude by more than 30% for more than 10 seconds, with subsequent blood desaturation by more than 3%, or with subsequent awakening. The activity of the masticatory muscles during the examination will be assessed on the basis of EMG recording from electrodes placed on the chin and symmetrically in the vicinity of the masseter muscles attachments. As episodes of bruxism, episodes of rhythmic activity of the masseter muscles, often accompanied by grinding or knocking noises and characteristic movements in the orofacial region occurring after a minimum interval of three seconds from the last muscular activity, will be qualified. Bruxism episodes will be assessed quantitatively using the BEI (Bruxism Episodes Index) rating the number of bruxism episodes per hour of patient's sleep, and qualitatively for phase, tonic and mixed episodes. The results will then be analyzed for the incidence of RMMA directly related to bruxism episodes and their relationship to sleep apnea episodes, changes in blood pressure and heart rhythm to determine time and cause-effect relationships.

In addition, we will carry out the following surveys: ISI Insomnia Severity Scale, KPS sense of stress questionnaire , TEC Traumatic Experience Checklist. , mini COPE stress management questionnaire, CECS Courtauld Emotional Control Scale, AIS Accteptance of Illness Scale ,BAI Beck Anxiety Index, Short Questionnaire for Measuring the Big Five IPIP-BFM-20, McGill Pain Questionnaire, GCSP Graded Chronic Pain Scale. , PHQ-9 Patient Health Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index PSQI, STOP-Bang Apnea Risk Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, PSS-10 Perceived Stress Scale -10, HIT-6 Headache Impact Test,GAD-7 Generalized Anxiety Disorder ,MIDAS scale for assessing functioning disorders in migraine.

Each patient will also be subjected to genetic blood laboratory tests to determine the occurrence of specific genotypes and phenotypes occurring in patients with bruxism.

The tests will be carried out in accordance with the CONSORTated (CONsolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) guidelines for RCT (Randomized Controlled Trial). Expected effects:

1. Assessment of the incidence of bruxism during sleep in patients with breathing disorders during sleep

2. Determination of changes in sleep structure in patients with bruxism.

3. Assessment of possible genetic basis in patients with bruxism

4. Assessment of psychosomatization in patients with bruxism.

5. Assessment of the level of anxiety and pain felt in patients with bruxism.