Orofacial myofunctional signs and symptoms in adults with sleep breathing disorder: is there a correlation?
Gabriele Ramos de Luccas, Raphaela Godoi Abu Halawa, Carlos Henrique Ferreira Martins and 1 others
PMID 40298653WHAT IT FOUND
In 15 adults with sleep breathing disorders, clinical signs of chewing dysfunction correlated moderately but negatively with patient-reported symptoms.
This means patients with more observable chewing issues often reported fewer symptoms, highlighting a lack of self-awareness regarding oral motor deficits.
Key findings
01There was a significant moderate inverse correlation between signs and symptoms of chewing function (r=-0.548, p=0.034), but no significant correlation for breathing or swallowing.
02Patients frequently reported sleep complaints like snoring and apnea, but swallowing was the function with the most clinical alterations and the fewest reported symptoms.
03Clinical evaluation revealed frequent tongue hypotonia, unilateral chewing patterns, and excessive perioral muscle contraction during swallowing, often without corresponding patient complaints.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Very small sample size (n=15). No control group for comparison. Heterogeneous group regarding severity of sleep apnea. Single researcher performed all assessments, introducing potential bias despite training.
Declared interests
None declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the negative correlation in chewing as patients feeling better when they are worse. It reflects a lack of symptom awareness or attribution, not a protective effect. The small sample size means these correlations may not hold in larger populations.