Colonna Anna, Manfredini Daniele, Bracci Alessandro, Saracutu Ovidiu Ionut, Ferrari Marco, Lobbezoo Frank
School of Dentistry, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Department of Neurosciences, School of Dentistry, University of Padova, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Clin Oral Investig. 2025 Jan 2;29(1):40. doi: 10.1007/s00784-024-06114-2.
In recent years, a smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) approach for assessing awake bruxism (AB) has attracted growing interest, both in clinical and research settings. The present study was designed to investigate subjects' experience using an EMA-based smartphone application to detect factors that could hamper or facilitate its use for clinical and research purposes.
Thirty-two patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) pain (14 males, 18 females; mean age 28.3 ± 12.1 years) were recruited at the Orofacial Pain Unit of the University of Siena, Siena, Italy. They were monitored for one week to collect data on their AB behaviors. Time investment, feelings, encountered difficulties, and reasons for not using the app were assessed in a diary with 5-point Likert scales. Descriptive analysis of quantitative data was assessed, and content analysis of textual data was performed.
Quantitative data showed a good experience with the app (median of 4). The main motivation to use the EMA-based smartphone application was to gain insight into their own AB behaviours. The most negative experience was the short time window available to answer to the alert.
The EMA-based smartphone application was well accepted for multiple day evaluation.
These results open up important clinical scenarios for AB evaluation as well as the possibility to carry out large-scale studies on general population samples and/or on selected subpopulations.
近年来，一种基于智能手机的生态瞬时评估（EMA）方法用于评估觉醒性磨牙症（AB），在临床和研究环境中都引起了越来越多的关注。本研究旨在调查受试者使用基于EMA的智能手机应用程序的体验，以发现可能阻碍或促进其在临床和研究中应用的因素。
在意大利锡耶纳大学口腔颌面疼痛科招募了32名患有颞下颌关节紊乱病（TMD）疼痛的患者（14名男性，18名女性；平均年龄28.3±12.1岁）。对他们进行了为期一周的监测，以收集他们AB行为的数据。通过5点李克特量表在日记中评估时间投入、感受、遇到的困难以及不使用该应用程序的原因。对定量数据进行描述性分析，并对文本数据进行内容分析。
定量数据显示对该应用程序体验良好（中位数为4）。使用基于EMA的智能手机应用程序的主要动机是深入了解自己的AB行为。最负面的体验是回复提醒的时间窗口较短。
基于EMA的智能手机应用程序在多天评估中得到了很好的接受。
这些结果为AB评估开辟了重要的临床场景，也为在一般人群样本和/或选定亚人群中开展大规模研究提供了可能性。
