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Biomedical subjects

K Vargervik

Publications and source records attributed to K Vargervik.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Sequential neuromuscular changes in rhesus monkeys during the initial adaptation to oral respiration.

Experimental induction of oral respiration in primates altered the neuromuscular use of specific craniofacial muscles. Obstruction of the nasal passage in the rhesus monkey induced changes in the electromyographic discharge (EMG) of both mandibular and facial muscles during the first 6 months of adaptation. Eighteen craniofacial muscles were studied with regard to their type of neuromuscular pattern. The EMG discharge was analyzed in terms of whether it had a rhythmic discharge or a continuous recruitment of motor units. The results of the investigation revealed that certain muscles in the control monkey using nasal respiration could be rhythmically or continuously active, but no significant trend was apparent with either pattern over time. In contrast, a significant number of muscles became rhythmically active within the first month of adaptation to oral respiration in the experimental animals. The rhythmic pattern was evident in key muscles that actively depressed the mandible, protruded the tongue, altered the shape of the tongue, and raised the upper lip. Continuous activity was induced in the first month within the suprahyoid region and tongue but later, by the fifth month, in specific lip and elevator muscles. These results suggested that the neuromuscular system adapted immediately to nasal obstruction but would vary as to (1) which muscles would be important in the initial adaptation, (2) the mode of adaptation, and (3) the time when a particular pattern first began to be used.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Electromyographic analysis of the functional components of the lateral pterygoid muscle in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta).

Electromyographic recordings (EMG) obtained from intramuscular electrodes inserted in the lateral pterygoid muscle (lat. pt.) of 29 juvenile and adolescent monkeys were assessed in relation to the recorded activity of three jaw elevating muscles, temporalis, masseter and medial pterygoid, and a jaw muscle depressor, the geniohyoid. The lat. pt. was recruited in one of three patterns: (1) only during mandibular depression, (2) during both depression and elevation, or (3) only during elevation of the jaw. The discharge of fibres in the lat. pt. during closing movements occurred bilaterally in 9 of 21 recordings. Simultaneous recordings from the anterior temporalis, medial pterygoid and the ipsilateral lat. pt. indicated completely different discharge patterns of the three muscles. In 9 recording sessions, two pairs of electrodes were placed in the same lat. pt. The discharge patterns from the two pairs were different in 5 of the recordings. In one region, the fibres were active only during depression, whereas in the other region fibres discharged only during elevation of the mandible. The data support the concept of two groups of fibres with separate functions within the lat. pt. and suggest that adaptation to oral respiration utilizes the two groups in distinctive patterns.

Animals↗

Primate experiments on oral respiration.

Oral respiration associated with obstruction of the nasal airway is a common finding among patients seeking orthodontic treatment. The primate experiments reported here are part of a series designed to test some of the current hypotheses regarding the relationship between mouth breathing and dental malocclusions, that is, between deviations in orofacial muscle recruitment and jaw morphogenesis. Mouth-breathing was developed in the animals of this experiment by obstruction of the nasal passages with silicon nose plugs. The experiments showed that the monkeys adapted to nasal obstruction in different ways. In general, the experimental animals maintained an open mouth. Some increased the oral airway rhythmically, while others maintained the mandible in a lower position with or without protruding the tongue. All experimental animals gradually acquired a facial appearance and dental occlusion different from those of the control animals. From these and the previously reported primate experiments in this laboratory, it can be deduced that orthodontic appliances in general affect the morphology of the orofacial structure in two ways: by direct force and by sensory stimulation. (1) The appliance exerts a direct physical force which alters the strain distribution in the bone and elicits bone remodeling and tooth movement. (2) The presence of the appliance initiates the sensory input which triggers a neuromuscular response. This change in neuromuscular activity, in turn, affects both muscle development and bone remodeling. The fixed orthodontic appliance may work mainly on the first principle. Certain removable appliances may have a significant effect based on the second principle.

Animals↗

Orthodontic management of unilateral cleft lip and palate.

Experimental and clinical findings indicate that unfavorable adaptations of normal structures occur in children with clefts. It is postulated that these deviations from normal development are reversible and can be corrected or prevented by properly designed treatment. On this basis, five hypotheses were formulated and tested on the data from the subjects included in this study. The subjects consisted of 1) 16 children without clefts, 2) eight children who had complete unilateral clefts of the lip and palate but who had not received orthodontic treatment, and 3) 16 children who had complete unilateral clefts of the lip and palate and who had been treated by the described orthodontic procedures. The mean age for each group was 16 years. It was concluded that orthodontic treatment can be designed to : 1) counteract the forces which inhibit development of the maxillary alveolar process horizontally and vertically, 2) partially prevent the reduction in the forward growth of the maxilla, 3) provide adequate jaw and dental arch relationships, and 4) establish and maintain correct position of the maxillary segments.

Adolescent↗

Morphologic evidence of muscle influence on dental arch width.

Tests on hypotheses to explain changes in arch width during correction of distoclusion with the activator appliance used in this study showed that statistically significant increases occurred in both maxillary and mandibular arch widths during treatment. The increase was substantially larger in the maxilla than in the mandible. The arch width showed no statistically significant decrease after completion of treatment. The activator designed for this study affected orofacial muscle balance. The findings suggest that there were changes in the influence of tongue and cheek muscles on the maxilla. Available experimental as well as clinical data support the assumption that the tongue had taken a higher and more anterior position in the palatal area and that the tension of the cheek muscles was reduced relative to the posterior part of the maxillary dental arch.

Activator Appliances↗