Recognizing symptoms of Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction with Earables

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Dysfunction (dt. Kraniomandibuläre Dysfunktion) is a widespread condition in the general population, with between 9% and 16% the TMJ-related symptoms [1]. Medical countermeasures range from wearing occlusal splint, physiological therapy up to surgical treatment. In addition to these measures, recent developments in Earable sensing show the possibility of tracking dysfunctional jaw movements, such as Bruxism [2]. In this thesis, we will explore the potential of Earables to track jaw malfunctions (e.g., ear canal deformation, bone movement) in diverse settings (e.g., eating) and the relation to clinical and usability outcomes. The insights could be used to develop new screening tools and better evaluate clinical interventions. Participants with a diagnosed CMD disorder can be recruited from orthopaedists, and (due to the high prevalence) in the general population and compared to a healthy control group.

Keywords: Ubiquitous computing, Wearable computing, Earables

Tasks (Scope depends on the type of Thesis)

Literature review;
Designing the experiment (e.g., Randomized Controlled Trial), including the Material (selecting suitable Earables)
Collecting and analyzing data;
Discussing applications for medicine and dentistry;

What we offer

Access to a large pool of participants;
Professional advice in terms of Data Science and Hardware;
A pleasant working atmosphere and constructive cooperation;
Chances to publish your work on top conference;

Qualification

Proactive and communicative work style;
Good English reading and writing;
Machine Learning;
Interest in working with Earable devices and interdisciplinary work;

Interested? Please contact: Tim Schneegans (schneegans@teco.edu)

References

[1] Daniele Manfredini, Luca Guarda-Nardini, Ephraim Winocur, Fabio Piccotti, Jari Ahlberg, and Frank Lobbezoo. Research diagnostic
criteria for temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review of axis i epidemiologic findings. Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology,
Oral Radiology, and Endodontology, 112(4):453–462, 2011.
[2] Erika Bondareva, Elín Rós Hauksdóttir, and Cecilia Mascolo. Earables for detection of bruxism: a feasibility study. In Adjunct Proceedings
of the 2021 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing and Proceedings of the 2021 ACM International
Symposium on Wearable Computers, pages 146–151, 2021.