Maxillofacial Rehabilitation Using Motor Imagery vs Sham After Orthognathic Surgery (MAXIMAND)

Civil Hospices of Lyon

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Maxillofacial Abnormalities

Treatments: Behavioral: Control task (Sudoku or Crossword puzzle); Behavioral: Motor imagery of the jaw

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06263374

69HCL21_0355

Details and patient eligibility

About

Dento-maxillary dysmorphoses are defined as an anomaly in the relative growth of the maxilla and/or mandible. They lead to functional disorders (i.e., disturbances in chewing or oral communication) and aesthetic issues with psychological repercussions on self-esteem, affecting the quality of life of these patients. The multidisciplinary treatment involves orthodontics (duration = 18-24 months), orthognathic surgery involving the maxillary and/or mandibular bone (at 12 months), immediately followed by physiotherapy (duration = 3 months). One main goal after surgery is the recovery of month opening to restore an appropriate orofacial function. Motor imagery (mental rehearsal of a movement without actually moving) is effectively used in athletes and in rehabilitation mainly neurological but so far has not been investigated in maxillofacial rehabilitation. Considering that the effectiveness of rehabilitation is increased when physical and mental practices are combined, this leads to propose this study aiming to investigate whether the addition of motor imagery of the maxillofacial region to maxillofacial physiotherapy (based on a practice of physical therapeutic exercises) modifies the recovery of maximum mouth opening, other ranges of motion, jaw function, and quality of life in patients after orthognathic surgery compared to the addition of a control cognitive task [watching a non-emotional content film or filling out a crossword or Sudoku grid] to maxillofacial physiotherapy.

Enrollment: 100 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Volunteer after orthognathic surgery of the mandible alone or concurrently with the maxilla.
• Consent to participate to the study after receiving clear, loyal and appropriate information.
• Aged ≥ 18 years.
• Health care beneficiary

Exclusion criteria

• Patient who has undergone maxillary surgery alone (e.g., LeFort I) or genioplasty. Indeed, both of these surgeries typically have a favorable and rapid recovery without the need for maxillofacial physiotherapy.
• Patient unable to imagine a maximum mouth opening movement (i.e., score = 1, no mental image / no sensations) on the 5-point Likert scale used during the administration of the Tongue Month Imagery Questionnaire (TMIQ).
• Ongoing participation in another research that aim to evaluate an intervention likely to improve the neurological or functional recovery introducing an experimental bias.
• Patients not undergoing rehabilitation in the study centers.
• Patients under guardians, curators, or legal protection.
• Pregnant or lactating patients.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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100 participants in 2 patient groups

Physiotherapy with self-rehabilitation including motor imagery

Experimental group

Description:

Patients will undergo maxillofacial rehabilitation, comprising a single 30-minute session per week during the first month post-surgery, followed by one session every two weeks for up to three months. In between these sessions, patients will participate in a self-rehabilitation program at home, involving jaw and tongue movements as well as massages, each lasting 5 minutes, three times a day. Compliance with the program will be monitored by the physiotherapist. The program has been standardized across all centers, ensuring consistency in this multicentric study.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Motor imagery of the jaw

Physiotherapy with self-rehabilitation including control task

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Patients allocated to the control group will receive physiotherapy along with self-rehabilitation, incorporating a control task. The delivery of physiotherapy and self-rehabilitation will mirror that of the experimental group. The control task, substituting motor imagery, will involve completing Sudoku or crossword puzzles based on patient preference. (i.e., an equivalent duration to the motor imagery practice of the experimental group). The physiotherapist will ensure adherence to the rehabilitation and intervention protocols.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Control task (Sudoku or Crossword puzzle)