The Phase I objective is to design a biofeedback apparatus for the home treatment of nocturnal bruxism and to conduct a pilot study on its effectiveness. This apparatus will consist of a bruxism sensor and radio transmitter that can be integrated into any custom dental acrylic splint. When a bruxing event is detected, a radio signal proportional to bruxing force triggers a nightstand alarm. The nightstand unit will be programmable to ignore a percentage of bruxing events, thus implementing the selectable reinforcement schedule thought necessary by learning theorists. In addition, it will record times and frequencies of such events allowing the patient to monitor progress and the clinician to keep statistics. The goals of Phase I are to integrate a bruxism sensor and telemetry unit into a comfortable splint, to develop a receiver/alarm unit, and to carry out a pilot study on efficacy. These efforts will form the basis for a Phase II collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Dental School to refine the device, implement clinical trials and FDA qualify a commercial instrument. As an estimated 5% of the adult population exhibit pathological bruxing, the development of an effective home treatment device should have wide commercial appeal.
