Screen‐printed ambulatory electrode set enables accurate diagnostics of sleep bruxism

Currently, definite diagnosis of sleep bruxism requires polysomnography. However, it is restrictedly available, and too cumbersome and expensive for the purpose. The aim of this study was to introduce an ambulatory electrode set and evaluate its feasibility for more cost‐effective diagnostics of sleep bruxism. Six self‐assessed bruxers (one male, five females; aged 21–58 years) and six healthy controls (four males, two females, aged 21–25 years) underwent a standard polysomnographic study and a concurrent study with the ambulatory electrode set. Bruxism events, cortical arousals and sleep stages were scored for the two montages separately in a random order, and obtained sleep parameters were compared. In addition, the significance of video recording and sleep stage scoring for the diagnostic accuracy of ambulatory electrode set was determined. Ambulatory electrode set yielded similar diagnoses as standard polysomnography in all subjects. However, compared with standard polysomnography the median (interquartile range) tonic bruxism event index was significantly higher in the control group [+0.38 (+0.08 to +0.56) events per hour, P = 0.046], and the phasic bruxism event index was significantly lower in the bruxer group [−0.44 (−1.30 to +0.07) events per hour, P = 0.046]. Exclusion of video recording and both video recording and sleep stage scoring from analysis increased overestimation of the tonic bruxism event index in the control group +0.86 (+0.42 to +1.03) and +1.19 (+0.55 to +1.39) events per hour, P = 0.046 and P = 0.028, respectively], resulting in one misdiagnosed control subject. To conclude, ambulatory electrode set is a sensitive method for ambulatory diagnostics of sleep bruxism, and video recording and sleep stage scoring help reaching the highest specificity of sleep bruxism diagnostics.