Chewing Muscles in Bruxers

May 11, 2026 updated by: Hazel Çelik Güzel, Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

Investigation of the Relationship Between Autonomic Nervous System Activity and Biomechanical Characteristics of Chewing Muscles in Bruxers

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between autonomic nervous system activity and tonus, stiffness and elasticity of temporalis and masseter muscles in individuals with bruxism and to compare them with healthy controls.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Individuals diagnosed with bruxism and healthy individuals as a control group will be included in the study. Firstly, the purpose of the research and evaluation methods will be explained to the participants. Individuals who volunteer to participate in the study and meet the inclusion criteria will be included. Approval will be obtained from the individuals to be evaluated with the 'Informed Voluntary Consent Form'. Individuals will then fill in the Descriptive Data Form. The intensity of pain in the masticatory muscles of all participants at rest and during chewing will be measured by Visual Analogue Scale, Autonomic Nervous System activity (heart rate variables) will be measured by Polar H10 chest strap, and the tonus, stiffness and elasticity of the temporalis and masseter muscles will be measured by Myoton device. The evaluations are planned to take an average of 20 minutes for each participant. The evaluations of the participants will be made only once and will not be evaluated again.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
89

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Turkey
      • Balıkesir, Turkey, Turkey (Türkiye), 10200
        • Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

Bruxers

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed with bruxism between the ages of 18-65,
  • A history of bruxism for at least 6 months,
  • Individuals with masseter muscle pain ≥4 at rest and during mastication
  • Control group: Healthy individuals aged 18-65 years

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Masseter botox application in the last 6 months,
  • With regular use of analgesics and anti-inflammatories affecting the OSS,
  • Smokes 20 or more cigarettes daily,
  • With regular alcohol use of 1-2 glasses per day,
  • Daily coffee consumption of 6 cups or more,
  • Cardiovascular, respiratory and central nervous system diseases,
  • Presence of infection or tumoural structures within intraoral structures,
  • Multiple ear piercings,
  • With TMJ disc displacement and joint degeneration,
  • Cervical or TMJ fracture, systemic disease, musculoskeletal problem with evidence of specific pathological condition,
  • Any surgical operation related to cervical or TMJ problem,
  • Less than 6 months of cervical or TMJ-related physiotherapy and rehabilitation services,
  • The one with facial paralysis,
  • Diagnosed psychiatric illness
  • Participants who have communication difficulties in speaking and understanding Turkish or who are unable to understand the exercises

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Control group
Healthy volunteers
Other: Visual Analogue Scale
The pain intensity of the participants will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale, which is a simple, reliable and short-term method commonly used to measure pain intensity in the clinic. The participant is told that the most severe pain he/she experiences is 10 and if there is no pain, the pain intensity is 0. The participant will be asked to tick a number between 0 and 10 corresponding to the intensity of pain felt in the masticatory muscles at rest and during chewing.
Other: Autonomic nervous system activity assessment
All participants included in the study will undergo a 5-minute test with the Polar H10 chest strap device for autonomic nervous system activity assessment (heart rate variability assessment). The data obtained after the measurement will be analysed with Kubios software. Stress index (cardiovascular system stress), PNS index (parasympathetic nervous system dominance), SNS index (sympathetic nervous system dominance), LF power (sympathetic activity), HF power (parasympathetic activity) and LF/HF ratio (sympathetic/parasympathetic balance) parameters will be used in the evaluation of HRV in Kubios programme.
Other: Masticatory muscles assessment
The Myoton PRO device will be used to objectively assess the biomechanical properties of the participants' masticatory muscles such as tone, stiffness and elasticity. The masseter and temporalis muscles will be evaluated bilaterally in the sitting position. Three measurements will be recorded at one second intervals and the average value will be used for analysis.
Bruxers
Individuals with bruxism
Other: Visual Analogue Scale
The pain intensity of the participants will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale, which is a simple, reliable and short-term method commonly used to measure pain intensity in the clinic. The participant is told that the most severe pain he/she experiences is 10 and if there is no pain, the pain intensity is 0. The participant will be asked to tick a number between 0 and 10 corresponding to the intensity of pain felt in the masticatory muscles at rest and during chewing.
Other: Autonomic nervous system activity assessment
All participants included in the study will undergo a 5-minute test with the Polar H10 chest strap device for autonomic nervous system activity assessment (heart rate variability assessment). The data obtained after the measurement will be analysed with Kubios software. Stress index (cardiovascular system stress), PNS index (parasympathetic nervous system dominance), SNS index (sympathetic nervous system dominance), LF power (sympathetic activity), HF power (parasympathetic activity) and LF/HF ratio (sympathetic/parasympathetic balance) parameters will be used in the evaluation of HRV in Kubios programme.
Other: Masticatory muscles assessment
The Myoton PRO device will be used to objectively assess the biomechanical properties of the participants' masticatory muscles such as tone, stiffness and elasticity. The masseter and temporalis muscles will be evaluated bilaterally in the sitting position. Three measurements will be recorded at one second intervals and the average value will be used for analysis.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Visual Analogue Scale
Time Frame: March 1, 2025- June 1, 2025
The pain intensity of the participants will be assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale, which is a simple, reliable and short-term method commonly used to measure pain intensity in the clinic. The participant is told that the most severe pain he/she experiences is 10 and if there is no pain, the pain intensity is 0. The participant will be asked to tick a number between 0 and 10 corresponding to the intensity of pain felt in the masticatory muscles at rest and during chewing.
March 1, 2025- June 1, 2025
Autonomic nervous system activity assessment
Time Frame: March 1, 2025- June 1, 2025
All participants included in the study will undergo a 5-minute test with the Polar H10 chest strap device for autonomic nervous system activity assessment. The data obtained after the measurement will be analysed with Kubios software.
March 1, 2025- June 1, 2025
Masticatory muscles biomechanical properties assessment
Time Frame: March 1, 2025- June 1, 2025
The Myoton PRO device will be used to objectively assess the biomechanical properties of the participants' masticatory muscles. The masticatory muscles will be evaluated bilaterally in the sitting position. Three measurements will be recorded at one second intervals and the average value will be used for analysis.
March 1, 2025- June 1, 2025

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
October 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
October 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 5, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 8, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 13, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 11, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2024-248

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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