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New Animal Model for Studying Mastication in Oral Motor Disorders

¹ Division of Oral Physiology,
² Removable Prosthodontics, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 5274, Gakkocho-dori 2, Niigata 951-8514, Japan; and
³ Division of Orthodontics and Biomedical Engineering, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1, Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588, Japan;

*corresponding author, yamada{at}dent.niigata-u.ac.jp

To identify the basic parameters of oral behavior in mice, we recorded the three-dimensional jaw movement trajectories and masseter and digastric muscle activities in freely behaving mice eating foods of various textures. Results showed that: (1) there are characteristic jaw movement patterns for food intake and mastication; (2) the pattern in a chewing cycle may be divided into opening, closing, and protruding (power) strokes; and (3) food texture affects basic patterns of jaw movement, muscle activities, and chewing rhythms. The oral motor behavior of mice appears identical to those of other experimental animals, so mice are appropriate animal models for the study of mastication.

KEY WORDS: freely behaving mouse • masticatory jaw movement • masticatory muscle activity • chewing rhythm • food texture