ABSTRACT
Purpose:
to characterize the amplitude and speed of masticatory cycles evaluated by electrognathography in one group of elder individuals and to compare these data with those of two other groups of Parkinson's disease subjects.
Methods:
42 volunteers participants in this study were divided into three groups: A with 15 volunteers, average age of 62 years, 8females, B with 14 volunteers characterized by a Parkinson’s hypokinesia, average age of 58 years, of which 7 are female, and C with 13 volunteers characterized by a Parkinson’s tremor, with average age of 64 years, being 4 female. It was used the ANOVA test for difference of means with post-hoc Dunnett's contrast or Student's t-test, all at 0.05 significance level.
Results:
there were greater differences between the means of groups A and B in the total number of masticatory cycles (A = 23.13 ± 1.41 B = 18.21 ± 1.70) [p = 0.034] and in the maximum mouth opening amplitudes (A = 34.66 ± 2.04 B = 26.72 ± 2.49) [p = 0.018], lateralization to the right (A = 7.02 ± 0.59 B = 5.80 ± 0.97) P = 0.036] and left (A = 6.44 ± 0.64 B = 3.35 ± 0.80) [p = 0.039].
Conclusion:
the elderly group exceeded the means, in the mandibular movement during chewing, of the rigid group of parkinsonians. We may conclude that factors such as parkinsonian stiffness are likely to compromise the chewing of individuals with Parkinson's disease.
Keywords:
Mastication; Range of Motion, Articular; Parkinson's Disease; Mandible