Evaluation of the Sleep Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) in TMD Patients

Objectives: This case-control study was undertaken with the primary objective of evaluating the Brazilian-Portuguese translation of "The Sleep Assessment Questionnaire" (SAQ) in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and non-pain subjects. Methods: This preliminary sample was formed by 63 women divided into three groups. Group I was comprised by TMD patients who improved after treatment (n=18); while Group II, those who did not (n = 15), and both groups were considered experimental. Group III (n = 30), the control group, was formed by age- and sex-matched (women only) TMD pain-free individuals. The sample average age was approximately 35 years old, with Group I having an average of 35.3 +- 13.11; Group II, 36.5 +- 11.1; and Group III, 38.7 +- 13.4 years of age (N.S., Mann Whitney U test). Results: The preliminary results of the scores of the SAQ were compared among the three groups and had similar results for both TMD and non-pain subjects when comparing a Brazilian versus a Canadian sample (Group I = 23.5 vs. 20, Group II = 24 vs. 27.8, and Group III = 16 vs. 11). Signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders were also evaluated and correlated with the sleep quality. There was a direct correlation of poor sleep quality vs. TMJ and masticatory muscle pain (Spearman's correlation range = .13 to .4). There was not statistically a significant difference between Groups I and II, but both experimental groups were statistically different from Group III (Kruskal-Wallis test, p < 0.01). In the multivariate analysis (Logistic Regression), the results remain unaltered even after controlling for age, educational level, marital status, educational and income level. Conclusions: Our preliminary findings indicated that the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the SAQ is conceptually equivalent to its English-version.