Sleep bruxism, an autonomic self-regulating response by triggering the trigeminal cardiac reflex

J Calif Dent Assoc. 2012 Aug;40(8):670-1, 674-6.

Abstract

Sleep bruxism, an intensified manifestation of rhythmic masticatory muscle activity, characterized by tooth grinding or clenching during sleep, lacks a definitive physiological purpose. This paper posits that physiologically, sleep bruxism is an autonomic self-regulatory response to nighttime occurrences of tachycardia stemming from the brain experiencing microarousals during sleep. Sleep bruxism by triggering the trigeminal cardiac reflex leads to bradycardia. Rhythmic masticatory muscle activity-sleep bruxism, thereby, serves to slow the heart rate when brain microarousals cause tachycardia.

MeSH terms

  • Airway Obstruction / physiopathology
  • Autonomic Nervous System / physiology
  • Bradycardia / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Reflex, Trigeminocardiac / physiology*
  • Sleep Arousal Disorders / complications
  • Sleep Arousal Disorders / physiopathology
  • Sleep Bruxism / physiopathology*
  • Tachycardia / etiology
  • Tachycardia / physiopathology