IMPROVED AUTOMATIZED RECORDING OF MASTICATORY REFLEXES THROUGH ANALYSIS OF EFFORT TRAJECTORY DURING BIOFEEDBACK

Tap and sound evoked inhibitory motor reflexes within masseteric EMG w ere studied by means of a new technique that uses real time analysis o f the trajectory followed during voluntary occlusal effort, controlled through visual biofeedback, in order to stimulate on exactly the same activity background. This technique uses a two computers system, doin g parallel processing to support data acquisition, video indication, c alculus of the pursued trajectory and evaluation of it. Stimuli were a utomatically delivered when the effort's trajectory fulfilled a set of conditions. Denomination of reflexigram (RFXG) is proposed to the cum ulative, rectified and filtered EMG's series so recorded. Normal morph ologies of RFXG were established on a 90 normal patients group. Clear clinical correlations were also found within two groups: 30 bruxists a nd 50 with temporomandibular joint dysfunction.