Effects of tongue's somatosensory stimulation on the dementia animal model rat

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K11274
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59010:Rehabilitation science-related
• Research Institution: Kumamoto Health Science University
• Principal Investigator: SHIN MINCHUL 熊本保健科学大学, 保健科学部, 教授 (70596452)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 脳血管性認知症 / 舌刺激 / 体性感覚 / ラット

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined the effects of tongue touch/pressure and pain stimuli on cognitive function and apoptotic cell death in cerebrovascular dementia model rats. Compared to the cerebrovascular dementia model rat (P2VO) group, those subjected to tactile and pressure stimulation of the tongue (P2VO+TS) group exhibited improved memory, and there was a significant increase or tendency to increase in BrdU and c-Fos-positive cells and BDNF. In the study of neuronal cell death, the P2VO group showed a significant increase in Caspase-3 protein, while the tongue stimulation group showed slight inhibition and no significant difference. Based on these results, tongue stimulation enhances memory and learning in cerebrovascular dementia model rats by activating the rat’s hippocampus, neuronal differentiation, and growth factor. However, tongue stimulation may have a limited effect on memory decline due to its neuroprotective action against cell death in cerebrovascular dementia.

Free Research Field

神経科学分野

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の結果、舌への体性感覚刺激が脳血管性認知症ラットの海馬を活性化させ、認知能力（学習や記憶）の低下を改善する可能性が示唆された。これらの結果は、臨床において舌刺激を推奨するエビデンスとなり、日常生活でも簡単に行える舌刺激が、認知能力の低下に悩む方々や介護者にとって朗報となるだけでなく、社会的および医療経済的側面からも有意義であると考えられる。また、注意欠陥多動性障害（ADHD）などの発達障害で見られる学習障害や集中力低下にも応用できると考えており、その場合、家庭や教育現場の負担軽減に繋がる可能性も考えられる。