Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare differences in endurance time and EMG power spectral characteristics of the masticatory muscles during sustained isometric contraction between patients and controls. 15 CMD patients{8 women and 7 men, aged 15 to 38 years(24.1$\pm$7.5)}, and 15 healthy volunteers{8 women and 7 men, aged 15 to 30 years(24.7$\pm$3.4)} without past history or present symptoms of CMD were included in this study. Sustained isometric contractions of masticatory muscles were perfomeed as long as possible at 50% level of maximum voluntary contraction(MVC) of EMG activity via visual feedback, and the duration of sustained isometric contraction(endurance time) was examined. The author perfomed EMG power spectral analysis in the myoelectric signals of masseter and anterior temporal muscle during sustained isometric contraction in CMD patients with chronic muscle pain and healthy controls. The author came to following conclusions from the results. 1. The endurance time of the patient group was shorter than the control group in sustained isometric contraction of masticatory muscles(p<0.01). 2. MF values of masticatory muscles with sustained isometric contraction during endurance time were decreased following regression line in both groups(p<0.01, r>0.9). 3. The amount of MF shift to lower frequency range exhibited no significant differences between the patients and the control group in sustained isometric contraction during endurance time. 4. SMF to lower frequency range of the patient group was steeper than the control group in sustained isometric contraction during endurance time(p<0.05).
