1998 Volume 19 Issue 3 Pages 341-344
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of TMJ clicking on pressure perceptive of tympanic membrane. Eight asymptomatic volunteers (healthy subjects: HE) and eight volunteers with unilateral TMJ clicking were subjected to measure pressure perceptive threshold of tympanic membrane using tubo-tympanic meter.
No right-left ear differences were observed in HE, thus, data from left and right were pooled as the control. While, data obtained from unilateral TMJ clicking were divided clicking side and nonclicking side (CS and NS, respectively) . Pressure perceptive threshold of tympanic membrane was compared among three groups using Scheffe's F-test.
The following results were obtained:
1. The pressure perceptive threshold of tympanic membrane to positive pressure load was 56±17 mmH2O in HE, 75±18 mmH2O in NS, and 72+16 mmH2O in CS. There were no statistically significant differences between HE and NS, HE and CS respectively (p<0.05) .
2. The pressure perceptive threshold of tympanic membrane to negative pressure load was -66±20 mmH2O in HE, -102±41mmH2O in NS, and -119±61 mmH2O in CS. There were no statistically significant differences between HE and NS (p<0.05), HE and CS (p<0.01) respectively.
From these results, it is suggested that pressure perceptive threshold of tympanic membrane are influenced by TMJ clicking.
