Department of Oral Function and Rehabilitation, Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo, 2-870-1 Sakaecho-nishi, Matsudo, Chiba 271-8587, Japan.
Arch Oral Biol. 2012 Jul;57(7):995-1002. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2012.01.007. Epub 2012 Feb 10.
The present study explored the effect of age and gender on trigeminal sensory function and masseteric exteroceptive suppression (ES) reflex responses.
Young healthy men (n = 12) and women (n = 12) (age: 23.5 ± 3.0 years) and older healthy men (n = 12) and women (n = 12) (age: 58.5 ± 5.2 years) participated. Sensory function was assessed on the skin overlying the mental foramen using mechanical stimuli. Surface EMG was recorded from the left masseter muscle to assess ES reflex responses evoked by a magnetic stimulus applied to the skin above the left mental nerve.
The older group had significantly higher tactile detection thresholds. Early ES1 was present in all subjects. Onset latency of ES1 was significantly delayed in older subjects. ES2 was present in all young subjects, but only in 5 of the 12 men and 8 of the 12 women in the older group. Significant gender differences were found for sensory and pain thresholds to mechanical stimuli as well as for duration of ES.
Ageing affects tactile detection thresholds, onset latency of ES1 responses, and appearance of ES2. The present results indicate that trigeminal sensory function and brainstem reflex responses differ between genders and age groups. These findings may have implications for assessment of craniofacial pain conditions.
本研究探讨了年龄和性别对三叉神经感觉功能和咬肌外感受抑制（ES）反射反应的影响。
年轻健康男性（n = 12）和女性（n = 12）（年龄：23.5 ± 3.0 岁）和老年健康男性（n = 12）和女性（n = 12）（年龄：58.5 ± 5.2 岁）参与了本研究。使用机械刺激评估覆盖颏孔的皮肤的感觉功能。记录左侧咬肌的表面肌电图，以评估施加在左侧颏神经上方皮肤的磁刺激诱发的 ES 反射反应。
年龄较大的组触觉检测阈值显著升高。所有受试者均存在早期 ES1。ES1 的起始潜伏期在年龄较大的受试者中显著延迟。年轻组的所有受试者均存在 ES2，但在年龄较大的组中，只有 12 名男性中的 5 名和 12 名女性中的 8 名存在 ES2。在机械刺激的感觉和疼痛阈值以及 ES 的持续时间方面，存在显著的性别差异。
年龄会影响触觉检测阈值、ES1 反应的起始潜伏期和 ES2 的出现。本研究结果表明，三叉神经感觉功能和脑干反射反应在性别和年龄组之间存在差异。这些发现可能对颅面疼痛状况的评估具有重要意义。
