A Study on the Relation Between Stomatognathic System and the Systemic Condition: V-1. Concerning the Influence of Expermetal Occlusal Interference on Auditory Brainstem Response

Since the auditory brainstem response (ABR) is representative of action poten tials generated by sound stimulation from the auditory pathway in the cochlea. peripheral sensorium, cochlear nerve, and brainstem, the appearance of abnormal ABR waves may indicate the presence of some abnormality in the auditory pathway and its surroundings, or in the entire brains tem. It is also presumed that an abnormal change in the masticatory system, including the temporoman-dibular joint, could be detected by the observation of ABR, because the temporomandibular joint is closely related anatomically and embryologically to such peripheral auditory sensoria as coc hlea and auditory ossicles, resulting in the involvement of such abnormal change in the audi tory pathway. In this study, an occlusal interference was experimentally imposed to normal subjects, and its effects were examined after 24 hours for the purpose of obtaining a data on ABR responses in the presence of abnormal change in the masticatory system. As a result, a peak latency of wave I was unilaterally prolonged in comparison with that seen before the administration of interfer ence, indicating that an abnormality in the stomatognathic system caused damage not only to the stomatognathic system, but to the cochlear nerve as well through various pathways. Therefore, it was confirmed that the diagnosis, treatment and analysis of an abnormality in the stomatognathic system should be carried out in close cooperation with adjacent territories, by but other territories as well.