| Budget Amount *help |
¥13,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,800,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥3,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥10,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥10,200,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Oral-maxillo-pharyngeal region is involved in many physiological functions. The present study was conducted in searching the possible interaction between morphology and function of the brain and oral-maxillo-pharyngeal region using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) movie, functional MRI (fMRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Two studies were performed in speech function using MRI movie. In both studies, custom-made circuitry was connected to a 1.5T MRI apparatus to enable an external trigger pulse to control the timing of the scanning sequence and to provide an auditory cue for synchronization of the subject's utterance. The subject repeated a vowel-consonant-vowel syllable (i.e., /apa/) in whispers, and the run was measured using a gradient echo sequence for a cardiac cine. Experiment 1 : Linear and angular measurements for the interaction among the lips, tongue and soft palate with different conditions. [repetition time (TR) : 120ms, 80ms, 60ms, 40ms and 30ms]. The simultaneous mov
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ement of multiple articulators was visualized and assessed in all subjects. There were individualized patterns of movement across subjects. Gross changes in linear and angular measurements of the soft palate were observed with large time resolutions, while minute changes were observed with small time resolutions during velopharyngeal closure. It was thus concluded that MRI movie might be useful in the evaluation of oropharyngeal function. The quality of the image and the time required for data acquisition vary according to the parameters, e.g., TR, which should be carefully determined according to the clinical objectives. Experiment 2 : Temporal changes and correlations were studied for the inter-lip distance (IL), distance between the second cervical vertebra and the tip of the tongue (TA), distance between the second cervical vertebra and the base of the tongue (TP) and the velopharyngeal angle (Vp). It was found that the IL, TA, TP and Vp showed given temporal changes in the intra-individual level, and showed significant correlations irrespective of TR. In the inter-individual level, the Il and TA, and the IL and Vp showed significant correlations. It was suggested that the lips are involved in speech function with intimate temporal relationship between the tip of the tongue and soft palate. Furthermore, we are now collecting fMRI and VBM data in subjects with and without cleft lip and palate to determine the relationship between the cleft side and activation of the cerebral cortex and cerebellum. Less
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