{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,13]],"date-time":"2026-06-13T06:48:46Z","timestamp":1781333326890,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"17","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,1]],"date-time":"2024-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1725148800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"FCT\u2013Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P.","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["10.54499\/UIDB\/04585\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["10.54499\/UIDB\/04585\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Cervical pain has been linked to increased motor unit activity, potentially associated with the initiation and progression of chronic neck pain. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the time-course changes in cervical superficial muscle activation patterns among dental students with and without neck pain throughout their initial semester of clinical training. We used an online Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire for group allocation between neck pain (NP) (n = 21) and control group (CG) (n = 23). Surface electromyography (sEMG) of the sternocleidomastoid and upper bilateral trapezius was recorded before starting their clinical practice and after their first semester while performing a cranio-cervical flexion test (CCFT) in five increasing levels between 22 mmHg and 30 mmHg. After the first semester, both the CG (p &lt; 0.001) and NP (p = 0.038) groups showed decreased sternocleidomastoid activation. The NP group exhibited a concomitant increase in upper trapezius coactivation (p &lt; 0.001), whereas the muscle activation pattern in asymptomatic students remained unchanged (p = 0.980). During the first semester of clinical training, dental students exhibited decreased superficial flexor activity, but those with neck pain had increased co-contraction of the upper trapezius, likely to stabilize the painful segment. This altered activation pattern could be associated with further dysfunction and symptoms, potentially contributing to chronicity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s24175689","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,2]],"date-time":"2024-09-02T12:54:42Z","timestamp":1725281682000},"page":"5689","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Evolving Dynamics of Neck Muscle Activation Patterns in Dental Students: A Longitudinal Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"24","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3334-4398","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuel Barbosa de","family":"Almeida","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Neuromuscular Research Lab, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance (CIPER), Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Oeiras, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Egas Moniz Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Caparica, 2829-511 Almada, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Campus Universitario, Quinta da Granja, Caparica, 2829-511 Almada, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marion","family":"Moreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Campus Universitario, Quinta da Granja, Caparica, 2829-511 Almada, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4179-1318","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paulo","family":"Miranda-Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Egas Moniz Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Caparica, 2829-511 Almada, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Campus Universitario, Quinta da Granja, Caparica, 2829-511 Almada, Portugal"},{"name":"ESTG\u2013School of Technology and Management, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, 2411-901 Leiria, Portugal"},{"name":"Performance, Research and Planning Department, Portuguese Athletics Federation, 2799-538 Linda-A-Velha, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0059-768X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Moreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nursing School S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o de Deus, University of \u00c9vora, 7004-516 \u00c9vora, Portugal"},{"name":"Comprehensive Health Research Centre, National School of Public Health, 1600-560 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5059-2487","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carlos","family":"Fam\u00edlia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Egas Moniz Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Caparica, 2829-511 Almada, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9691-5456","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o R.","family":"Vaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Egas Moniz Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Caparica, 2829-511 Almada, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paula","family":"Moleirinho-Alves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Egas Moniz Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Caparica, 2829-511 Almada, Portugal"},{"name":"Department of Physiotherapy, Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Campus Universitario, Quinta da Granja, Caparica, 2829-511 Almada, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9750-0527","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ra\u00fal","family":"Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Neuromuscular Research Lab, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance (CIPER), Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Oeiras, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,9,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1260","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(17)32130-X","article-title":"Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 333 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 195 countries and territories, 1990\u20132016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 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