The Effect of Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Sleep Bruxism in Respiratory Polygraphy Study

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleep bruxism (SB) may appear concomitantly. Data on the relationship between OSA and SB are limited. It was shown that in a population with an increased risk of OSA, OSA was dependently correlated with SB on the degree of OSA severity only in mild and moderate cases of OSA. We aimed to confirm this relationship and affecting factors in a group of dental office patients in a prospective, observational study. Adult patients (n = 119) were evaluated using respiratory polygraphy. The risk of OSA was assessed using a STOP-Bang questionnaire (SBQ). The episodes of bruxism and respiratory events were scored according to the standards of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The prevalence of OSA and SB was found to be 63.02% and 41.17%, respectively. The bruxism episode index (BEI) was increased in the group with a higher risk of OSA (SBQ ≥ 3) compared to the group with a lower risk of OSA (3.49 ± 3.63 vs. 2.27 ± 2.50, p = 0.03). The sensitivity and specificity of the SBQ were not sufficient to predict SB. A positive linear correlation between AHI and BEI in the group with AHI < 23/h was found. The study confirmed that OSA was associated with SB in the group of patients with OSA and/or SB risk. The relationship between OSA and SB depended on the degree of severity of OSA and occurred in mild and moderate cases of OSA.

Is camera recording crucial for the correct diagnosis of sleep bruxism in polysomnography?

“…However, it is still exceedingly challenging to perform a polysomnographic assessment of sleep bruxism in many nations, particularly with the use of additional equipment like a camera (Markun & Sampat, 2020). Over the years, several diagnostic devices that do not require a camera have been developed to assess the occurrence of bruxism episodes during sleep in domestic settings (Casett et al, 2017; Kazubowska‐Machnowska et al, 2022; Lavigne et al, 1996; Martynowicz et al, 2018; Saczuk et al, 2019). Although some of these devices are used widely, the reliability of the results obtained from techniques that do not consider important criteria such as audio or video remains a question.…”

Nutrients Associated with Sleep Bruxism

“…The key strength of the present study was that we used electromyography to diagnose SB. Some studies have used questionnaires based on the International Classification of Sleep Disorders—Third Edition (ICSD-3) to investigation SB [ 40 , 41 , 42 ]. However, using questionnaires alone to diagnose SB is insufficient, because the concordance between the ICSD-3 and PSG diagnostic criteria is only moderate, with an area under the curve of 0.55–0.75 [ 43 ].…”

Relationships between respiratory and oromotor events differ between motor phenotypes in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

“…The idea that SB is a protective factor and may interrupt respiratory events is also a very concerned issue ( 17–19 ). Some studies found a positive correlation between the frequencies of respiratory and oromotor events (i.e., metrics of obstructive sleep apnea and sleep bruxism, respectively) during sleep ( 13 , 20 ), whereas others did not ( 12 ). Other works showed the relationship SB and AHI in mild and moderate OSA, but not in severe OSA ( 11 , 20 ).…”

“…Some studies found a positive correlation between the frequencies of respiratory and oromotor events (i.e., metrics of obstructive sleep apnea and sleep bruxism, respectively) during sleep ( 13 , 20 ), whereas others did not ( 12 ). Other works showed the relationship SB and AHI in mild and moderate OSA, but not in severe OSA ( 11 , 20 ). Even though a positive correlation was detected, its effects were moderate ( 11 , 13 ).…”