Reliability and validity of instrumentation used to record nocturnal clenching and/or grinding
Bowley, J.F.; Stockstill, J.W.; Pierce, C.J.
Journal of Orofacial Pain 7(4): 378-385
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 1064-6655 PMID: 8118441 Document Number: 405433
Nocturnal clenching and grinding can be recorded with a portable electromyograph unit and a standard cassette tape recorder, which registers the clenching episodes on a cassette tape. The information can then be coded by a new instrument, called a Pulse Identifier, that subsequently transfers the data to a polygraph chart recorder. This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Pulse Identifier when interfaced with other instruments that measure nocturnal clenching/grinding. A known number of clenching incidents over a baseline period of time were evaluated by three "blind' scorers. The results demonstrated an interscorer reliability coefficient of 0.99 and a validity coefficient of 0.99.