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RESEARCH REPORT |
1 Maxillofacial Orthognathics, 2 Oral/Maxillofacial Radiology, and 3 Cognitive Neurobiology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 5-45 Yushima 1-chome, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan; 4 Department of Physiology, Nihon University, School of Medicine, Tokyo 113-8610, Japan; 5 Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo 173-0015; and 6 Department of Oral/Maxillofacial Radiology, The University of Tokushima, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan;
* corresponding author, h-shinagawa.mort{at}tmd.ac.jp
| ABSTRACT |
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KEY WORDS: tongue movement chewing-side preference cortical activation gum-chewing functional magnetic resonance imaging
| INTRODUCTION |
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It has been shown that there are no significant differences in regional cerebral blood flow in the S1/M1 before and after gum-chewing (Momose et al., 1997). In contrast, it was demonstrated that the cortical temperature increased during and after gum-chewing (Funakoshi et al., 1989). This discrepancy regarding the short-term effect of mastication may be clarified by a technique that has better spatial resolution, such as fMRI. However, previous fMRI studies on mastication have had several drawbacks, such as a lack of stabilization of the head to allow for natural head motion during jaw movement, and contamination by physical/electrophysiological artifacts caused by contraction of the masticatory muscles. Thus, it seems inappropriate to investigate chewing-related cortical activation during chewing per se. Rather, it appears to be more appropriate to perform TM without activation of masticatory muscles, to avoid motion-related artifacts, since movements of the tongue and masticatory muscles are closely associated (Lowe et al., 1977; Schieppati et al., 1989; Takada et al., 1996; Palmer et al., 1997; Narita et al., 2002). Since it has been suggested that mastication induces an increase in cerebral blood flow (Senda et al., 1992; Sesay et al., 2000), it may be possible to show that mastication has biologically significant effects against the degenerative effects of aging on the masticatory system (Hector and Linden, 1987; Kubota et al., 1988).
Our aim in this study was, using the BOLD-fMRI technique, to assess the short-term effect of bilateral gum-chewing on cortical activation patterns during TMs, with special attention to the relationship with the CSP.
| MATERIALS & METHODS |
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Brain Scanning
After TM training, each subject performed two runs before and after gum-chewing in a 1.5-T apparatus (Magnetom Vision, Siemens AG, Erlangen, Germany) to obtain 40 transverse T2*-weighted slices with parameters identical to those in our previous study (Shinagawa et al., 2003). First, the subject performed a run that consisted of 290 scans before gum-chewing. The subject was then instructed to chew a gum base (Recaldent, Warner-Lambert Inc., Tokyo, Japan) voluntarily, not only on the preferred chewing side but also on the contralateral dentition, for 5 min. Immediately after chewing, the subject performed a second run that consisted of the same number of scans. The subject performed 36 blocks for each run (i.e., 10 scans for the first block and 8 scans for the remaining blocks). We discarded data from the first two scans of all blocks to eliminate transients that arose before dynamic equilibrium was achieved. The runs were measured with the use of a gradient echo-type echo planar imaging sequence with a head coil.
The subject performed each of three randomized TM tasks six times, and each was followed by a rest period as a control (Fig. 1B
). fMRI data obtained from each subject after gum-chewing were divided into two phasesthe first 10 min, beginning immediately after gum-chewing, and the second 10 min. Each phase consisted of 144 scans.
Data Analysis
We used SPM99 software to analyze individual fMRI data. Statistically significant locations were expressed as coordinates and superimposed on a standard brain atlas (Talairach and Tournoux, 1988). Since head and body movements must be eliminated during MR imaging, because they cause problematic artifacts (Birn et al., 1999; Seto et al., 2001), artifacts were carefully eliminated as in our previous study (Shinagawa et al., 2003)i.e., by full visual-feedback training for TMs to minimize electromyographic signals from masticatory muscles, fixation of the head and body with straps, immobilization of the mandible with reference to the maxilla by means of a splint, re-alignment by SPM99 to eliminate motion-related artifacts, and discarding of the first two scans for analysis. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the BOLD-fMRI signals obtained in this study were derived from neuronal activity associated with TMs. All sessions were included, because movement artifacts showed translations < ± 1.5 mm and rotations < ± 0.5 degrees in x-, y-, and z-coordinates. Statistical comparisons were performed for the group and for each subject and were used to identify regions with significantly increased activation during TMs relative to "rest" in three conditions before and after gum-chewing. The following subtractions were performed: (1) TM-"rest" before gum-chewing, (2) TM-"rest" in the first 10 min after gum-chewing, and (3) TM-"rest" in the second 10 min after gum-chewing.
The difference in the numbers of chewing strokes on the right and left sides of the dentition during bilateral gum-chewing was evaluated by the paired t test. We used an unpaired t test to compare the mean BOLD signal changes on the left and right S1/M1 for all TMs before and after gum-chewing. The main and interaction effects of gum-chewing and TMs on the mean BOLD signal changes in the S1/M1 of each hemisphere were tested by the F test and repeated two-way ANOVA followed by Fishers test. Statistical significance was established at p < 0.01. All procedures were carried out with the use of commercially available statistical software (StatView 5.0, Hulinks, Tokyo, Japan).
| RESULTS |
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Before gum-chewing, the S1/M1 was bilaterally activated during TM (Fig. 2
). The area of activation in the S1/M1 during TM increased appreciably in size during the first 10 min after gum-chewing, and then decreased during the second 10 min. Several foci in the S1/M1 with similar three-dimensional coordinates were activated during TM before gum-chewing, and in the first and second 10-minute periods after gum-chewing (Table
).
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| DISCUSSION |
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Plasticity of the hand S1/M1 area has been reported in humans (Classen et al., 1998; Liepert et al., 1999). In these previous studies, rapid and short-term re-organization of the S1/M1 was induced by simple (Classen et al., 1998) or synchronized (Liepert et al., 1999) repetitive thumb movements. Jaw movement to chew gum bilaterally requires highly coordinated contraction and relaxation of many orofacial muscles. In addition, updated afferent information is always necessary if bilateral gum-chewing is to be performed smoothly. The increase in the TM-related activation of the S1/M1 after 5 min of chewing may be comparable with that reported for thumb movement (Classen et al., 1998; Liepert et al., 1999).
In this study, all six subjects were consistent right-handers and exhibited a strong left CSP. The TM-related activation of the S1/M1 before gum-chewing was greater on the right than the left, which is consistent with our previous study in subjects with a left CSP (Shinagawa et al., 2003). After gum-chewing, TM-related activation of the bilateral S1/M1 was equalized; a significant increase in the mean change in the BOLD signal was seen on the left, but not on the right (i.e., hemispheric effect). Although the neural mechanism for this is not clear, this finding is interesting in the context that chewing-related transient plasticity may be affected by long-term plastic change due to the left CSP. This assumption may be supported by the fact that there was no interaction effect between gum-chewing and the TM pattern; there was only a main effect of gum-chewing. The mean change in the BOLD signal in the bilateral S1/M1 significantly decreased in the second 10 min compared with that in the first 10 min after gum-chewing during TL. During this period, there was no hemispheric effect. Furthermore, it seemed that there were no effects of the TM pattern on the mean change in the BOLD signal in the S1/M1.
Strengthening of the existing neuronal circuit through changes in synaptic efficacy (Donoghue, 1995) may account for the increase in the activated area, since the three-dimensional co-ordinates of the maximum activated foci during TMs remained relatively constant without systematic displacement (Liepert et al., 1999) before and after gum-chewing, and the development of new neuro-anatomic connections to surrounding areas is less likely to occur (Liepert et al., 1999).
The present study has several limitations. Seventeen volunteers were initially recruited, and brain scanning was carried out in only six subjects. These subjects showed significant deviation (i.e., more than 90% of total strokes performed) in chewing stroke to the left while they were freely chewing gum. In contrast, only four subjects showed significant deviation in chewing stroke to the right, and seven showed no side preference. Therefore, subjects with a left CSP were studied. So that variability among subjects would be minimized, fMRI data were spatially normalized with state-of-the-art SPM99 software. Although the number of subjects is similar to those in other studies on functional brain imaging, and significant (p < 0.05) results were obtained in the S1/M1 of the left hemisphere, further studies should be performed to determine whether comparable results can be obtained in the S1/M1 of the right hemisphere in subjects with a right CSP.
The present findings suggest that bilateral gum-chewing modulates activation in the S1/M1 during TMs. Further, this activation occurs differentially in each hemisphere, depending on the CSP. This plasticity supports the existence of short-term memory for a recently practiced movement, and may be beneficial for rehabilitation of the injured brain (Bütefisch et al., 1995; Cioni et al., 2001) or for stimulating the aging brain (Adams, 1987).
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
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Received July 28, 2003; Last revision July 4, 2004; Accepted July 27, 2004
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