Abstract
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a term employed to define a group of non-progressive neuromotor disorders caused by damage to the immature or developing brain, with consequent limitations regarding movement and posture. CP may impair oral pharynx muscular tonus leading to a compromised mastication and to sleep disorders. 15 adults with CP underwent bilateral masseter and temporalis neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) therapy and its effect over masticatory muscle and sleep variables were evaluated through electromyography (EMG) and polysomnography (PSG), respectively, prior and post 2 months of NMES therapy. EMG consisted of 3 tests in different position: rest, mouth opening and maximum clenching effort (MCE). The EMG values in the resting position were 100% higher prior to therapy for all muscles analyzed (p < 0.05); mean mouth opening rose from 38.0 ± 8.0 to 44.0 ± 10.0 cm (p = 0.03) and MCE was significantly only for right masseter. PSG shown that AHI improved from 7.1/h to 1.7/h (p < 0.05), total sleep time improved from 185 min to 250 min (p = 0.04) and minimal SaO2 improved from 83.6±3.0 to 86.4±4.0 (p=0.04). NMES performed over a two-month period led to an increase in the electrical activity of the masticatory muscles at rest, opening and during isometric contraction and improved sleep variables, including the elimination of sleep apneas events in CP patients. The Sleep Laboratory receives funding from Nove de Julho University (Brazil) and the support of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and grants from the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP).
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