Assessment of electromyographic activity, bite force and association with temporomandibular disorder in stroke patients with hemiparesis

• Grant number: 13/04065-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: June 01, 2013
• End date: May 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Sandra Kalil Bussadori
• Grantee: Fernanda Cordeiro da Silva
• Host Institution: Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE). Campus Vergueiro. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Spastic hemiparesis is one of the most common conditions found in stroke patients and causes motor impairment and postural deviations. Hemiparesis can lead to disharmony and asymmetry in facial movements and frequently affects orofacial functions. These factors may be important to the development of temporomandibular disorder (TMD), which is characterized by conditions that affect the temporomandibular joint and adjacent structures. Muscle strength is another important component of chewing function. Abnormalities in these components are directly related to the health and integrity of the stomatognathic system. The aims of the proposed observational, analytical, cross-sectional study are to determine whether hemiparesis in stroke patients causes reduced strength in the muscles of mastication and associate the findings with the occurrence of TMD. The sample will be made up of 110 male and female stroke patients between 50 and 75 years of age. The Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD will be used for the assessment of the presence of this disorder. Electromyographic analysis of the muscles of mastication will then be performed and bite force will be determined using a dynamometer Kratos. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation for parametric variables and median and interquartile intervals for nonparametric variables) will be performed for the characterization of the sample and distribution of scores. The results will be submitted to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, followed by the calculation of either Pearson's or Spearman's correlation coefficients, depending on the distribution of the data. (AU)