Surface electromyography in orofacial and cervical musculature in mouth breathing children: an integrative literature review

Abstract

Purpose: to review, in an integrative manner, studies using surface electromyography in the orofacial and cervical musculature in mouth breathing children aged from three to 11 years and 11 months old. Methods: the survey was conducted in national and international databases, from 1998 to 2018, in Portuguese, English and Spanish. Review articles, dissertations, book chapters, case studies and editorials were excluded. Results: 86 articles were found, 14 of which met the inclusion criteria. Most of these studies used surface electromyography to assess and describe the muscle condition of the mouth breathing population. Only one study addressed the influence of myofunctional speech therapy and two studies included physical therapy treatment, using electromyographic evaluation before and after the intervention. Given the main categories of analysis, the discussion was based on the year, state of publication and journal, sample size, scientific methodology, muscles assessed, assessment protocols used and the results of the publications. Conclusions: surface electromyography has been used mainly in the initial assessment of orofacial and postural myofunctional changes caused by mouth breathing and not as a therapeutic biofeedback, thus, it is important to conduct longitudinal studies using this instrument in mouth breathers.

Influence of Breathing Modes and Facial Growth Patterns on Electromyographic Fatigue of Masticatory Muscles in Children

“…These changes include mandible posture and occlusal changes and influences on the facial growth pattern. [5][6][7][8][9] Some studies have shown that MBs typically have an elongated face, 5 while others have found mesofacial 10,11 and brachyfacial growth patterns 12 as a characteristic of this population. All these imbalances may potentialize speech, 13 swallowing, 2,9 and mastication changes.…”

“…[5][6][7][8][9] Some studies have shown that MBs typically have an elongated face, 5 while others have found mesofacial 10,11 and brachyfacial growth patterns 12 as a characteristic of this population. All these imbalances may potentialize speech, 13 swallowing, 2,9 and mastication changes. 9,14,15 Regarding mastication, specifically, mouth breathing may impair its efficiency.…”

Influence of mentalis muscle relaxation on oronasal breathing

“…Breathing is indispensable to humans because it provides the necessary gas exchange that nourishes the tissues. However, if the nasal breathing function is somehow hindered, a mouth breathing pattern may be used, which might cause various impairments, such as postural changes, protruded shoulders, straight cervical spine, flexed head and neck; behavioral disorders, such as restlessness, irritation, restless sleep; inexpressive face with infraorbital dark circles; physiological disorders, such as nocturnal enuresis, day sleepiness; and learning disorders with inattention and lack of memory, despite a normal intelligence [1][2][3] . Hence, various authors already consider it a syndrome, named mouth-breathing syndrome (MBS) 4,5 .…”

“…There are different causes of MBS, including hypertrophy of the palatine and/or pharyngeal tonsils, nasal septum deviation, excessive retrognathism antagonizing the upper arch against the lower lip, hypertrophic turbinates, rhinitis, tumor, polyps, nasal fractures [1][2][3][4][5] . Given the impairments that may result from it and as it is already considered a public health issue 4,5 , drug and/or surgical treatments have been used to clear the upper airways 5 .…”

Tongue coupling as a therapeutic strategy: electromyographic analysis of different training approaches

“…SEMG is a resource used to quantitatively analyze muscle electrical activity, helping understand the muscle electrical activity patterns in the stomatognathic system in general 18 and the suprahyoid musculature 7 . It is described in the literature as one of the technological resources used to complement clinical assessment, as well as to receive biofeedback in orofacial myofunctional disorder therapy 19 .…”