Awake bruxism and dispositional mindfulness: psychophysiological and behavioral correlates in a real-time ecological assessment
Nykolas Jorge Silva Castaldi, Rafael Chadud Matoso‐Filho, Caio Sberni Pinheiro de Souza, Larissa Gregório Candido-do-Prado, Melissa De Oliveira Melchior, Simone Cecílio Hallak Regalo, Jardel Francisco Mazzi-Chaves, Laís Valencise Magri
Odontology June 2, 2026 DOI: 10.1007/s10266-026-01420-5 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 76 |
| Population | Undergraduate dental students, with a subset meeting screening criteria for awake bruxism undergoing EMA |
| Duration | One-week EMA protocol with 12 real-time prompts per day |
| Measures | Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), BruxApp ecological momentary assessment |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Higher total dispositional mindfulness was associated with lower EMA-assessed awake bruxism frequency in unadjusted analysis (β = -0.472), with the association attenuating to borderline after adjustment for sex, anxiety/depression, and coping (adjusted β = -0.70; 95% CI -1.40 to 0.001). Acting with Awareness and Nonreactivity were inversely associated with bruxism frequency, while Observing was positively associated; lower mindfulness was also associated with more self-reported mandibular pain. |
Abstract
This cross-sectional study investigated the association between dispositional mindfulness and the frequency of awake bruxism (AB)-related behaviors assessed through ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and explored the contribution of specific mindfulness facets. Seventy-six undergraduate dental students completed the Brazilian version of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and screening instruments for orofacial symptoms and parafunctional behaviors. Participants meeting screening criteria for AB underwent a one-week EMA protocol using the BruxApp, with 12 real-time prompts per day. Linear regression models were used to examine the association between dispositional mindfulness and EMA-derived AB frequency, with adjustment for sex, anxiety/depression, and coping. Higher total FFMQ scores were associated with lower AB frequency in the unadjusted analysis (β = -0.472; 95% CI - 0.906 to - 0.037; p = 0.034; R² = 0.236). After adjustment, the association was attenuated and became borderline (adjusted β = -0.70; 95% CI - 1.40 to 0.001; p = 0.050; adjusted R² = 0.285). At the facet level, Acting with Awareness and Nonreactivity showed inverse associations with AB frequency, whereas Observing was positively associated. Lower dispositional mindfulness was also associated with a higher prevalence of self-reported mandibular pain symptoms. Overall, dispositional mindfulness was associated with interindividual variability in EMA-derived AB frequency and pain symptom reporting under naturalistic conditions, although part of this association may reflect broader psychosocial factors.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- The effectiveness of mindfulness training in improving medical students' stress, depression, and anxiety. PLoS One 2023
- Dispositional mindfulness: Dissociable affective and cognitive processes. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review February 1, 2024
- The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on the Psychosomatic Spectrum of Oral Diseases: Mapping the Evidence. Journal of Lifestyle Medicine 2022
- Dispositional mindfulness attenuates the emotional attentional blink. Consciousness and Cognition 2019
- Neural mechanisms supporting the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and pain. Pain December 1, 2018
and 2 more in the library