Effects of therapeutic exercise on masticatory function in patients with progressive muscular dystrophy.

Abstract

The slope of the curve relating integrated electromyographic activity of masseter muscle to biting force, the latency of the jaw-jerk reflex, and masticatory performance wee estimated in patients with Duchenne type of progressive muscular dystrophy before and during therapeutic exercise of the somatogenc system. The slope and latency were slightly decreased, and masticatory performance was increased during exercise. These results suggest that therapeutic exercise of the stomatognathic system is effective in improving masticatory function in patients with progressive muscular dystrophy.