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First published online June 16, 2005
Journal of Experimental Biology 208, 2539-2547 (2005)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2005
doi: 10.1242/jeb.01677

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Burst characteristics of daily jaw muscle activity in juvenile rabbits

T. van Wessel^1,*, G. E. J. Langenbach¹, N. Kawai², P. Brugman¹, E. Tanaka² and T. M. G. J. van Eijden¹

¹ Department of Functional Anatomy, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Universiteit van Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
² Department of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Developmental Biology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: t.vanwessel{at}amc.uva.nl)

Accepted 4 May 2005

Muscle activation varies with different behaviors and can be quantified by the level and duration of activity bursts. Jaw muscles undergo large anatomical changes during maturation, which are presumably associated with changes in daily muscle function. Our aim was to examine the daily burst number, burst length distribution and duty time (fraction of the day during which a muscle was active) of the jaw muscles of juvenile male rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). A radio-telemetric device was implanted to record muscle activity continuously from the digastric, superficial and deep masseter, medial pterygoid and temporalis during maturation week 9-14. Daily burst characteristics and duty times were determined for activations, including both powerful and non-powerful motor behavior. All muscles showed constant burst numbers, mean burst lengths and duty times during the recording period. Including all behavior, the temporalis showed significantly larger daily burst numbers (205 000) and duty times (18.2%) than the superficial and deep masseter (90 000; 7.5%). Burst numbers and duty times were similar for the digastric (120 000; 11.1%) and medial pterygoid (115 000; 10.4%). The temporalis and deep masseter showed many short low activity bursts (0.05 s), the digastric showed many long bursts (0.09 s). For activations during powerful behaviors the superficial masseter and medial pterygoid had the largest burst numbers and duty times. Both muscles showed similar burst characteristics for all activation levels. It was concluded that activation of the jaw muscles is differently controlled during powerful and non-powerful motor behaviors and the functional organization of motor control patterns does not vary from 9 to 14 weeks of age.

Key words: EMG, duty time, motor control, burst number, burst length, rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus

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				T. Grunheid, G.E.J. Langenbach, A. Zentner, and T.M.G.J. Van Eijden Duty Time of Rabbit Jaw Muscles Varies with the Number of Activity Bursts Journal of Dental Research, December 1, 2006; 85(12): 1112 - 1117. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]