Prevalence of hyperactive digastric muscles during swallowing as measured by electromyography in patients with myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome.

One purpose of this clinical study is to establish a relationship between the hyper activity of the digastric muscles and predisposition of an individual to MPDS (myofacial pain dysfunction syndrome). If a population predisposed to MPD could be identified by an early diagnosis, intervention and treatment could eliminate potential pain in adulthood. Secondly, can the employment of electromyography to aid in the diagnosis of patients with MPD be helpful in establishing a program of prevention and treatment? Thirty-one patients, male and female, were randomly selected from among those routinely diagnosed as having myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome by the dental staff at the Long Island Center for Craniofacial Pain. Eighteen patients who did not experience any symptoms of facial pain comprised the control group in the study. This study demonstrated that the average trace readings which indicate the activity of the digastric muscles, as measured by the electromyogram from patients experiencing facial pain were significantly higher than those from patients without pain symptoms. In every instance, the correlation between facial pain and abnormal swallow patterns which are a cause of hyperactivity of the digastrics was confirmed.

Duke Scholars

Author Larry Bruce Goldstein Neurology, Stroke and Vascular Neurology