HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zeredo, J.L. Articles by Soma, K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zeredo, J.L. Articles by Soma, K.

Nature of Neck Motor Unit Activities Evoked by Different Trigeminal Inputs in Rats

¹ Orthodontic Science, Department of Orofacial Development and Function, Division of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan; and
² Division of Integrative Sensory Physiology, Department of Developmental and Reconstructive Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8588, Japan;

^* corresponding author, jorge.orts{at}tmd.ac.jp

Recent reports have suggested functional interactions between the masticatory and head motor systems. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms behind these phenomena have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, the motor unit activity was recorded bilaterally from the dorsal neck splenius muscles (SPL) while the cell bodies of trigeminal afferent fibers were stimulated at either the trigeminal mesencephalic nucleus (Me5) or the Gasserian ganglion (5Gn) in 13 barbiturate-anesthetized Wistar rats. After Me5 electrical stimulation, SPL motor unit responses were recorded ipsilaterally (n = 24), with an onset latency distribution between 1.3 and 1.8 ms. After 5Gn stimulation, SPL responses were recorded bilaterally from 18 single units, with latencies ranging from 2.2 to 2.4 ms. Our results suggest that there are at least two distinct pathways from the trigeminal afferents to the neck muscles, with significant functional differences.

KEY WORDS: trigeminal input • electromyography • motor unit • neck muscles • rat

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. Haggman-Henrikson, E. Nordh, H. Zafar, and P.-O. Eriksson Head Immobilization can Impair Jaw Function. J. Dent. Res., November 1, 2006; 85(11): 1001 - 1005. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]