Plastic changes of in cerebral cortical caused by trigeminal nerve injury

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K23063
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0907:Oral science and related fields
• Research Institution: Nihon University (2022); Dokkyo Medical University (2020-2021)
• Principal Investigator: ZAMA Manabu 日本大学, 歯学部, 助教 (00884561)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 神経障害性疼痛 / 光学計測 / 大脳皮質 / 体部位局在性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In rodents, we made a somatosensory map by applying electrical or air puff stimulation.The initial cortical responses in the S1 to oral structures, including the lower lip, tongue, and teeth, were spatially separated from those in the S2/IOR. The representation of the tongue center, tongue tip, mandibular molar pulp, mandibular incisor pulp, and mandibular incisor periodontal ligament were almost linearly arranged from caudal to rostral in both S1 and S2/IOR. The lower lip was represented in the dorsal area from the representation of teeth and tongue in both S1 and S2/IOR. The representations of maxillary teeth were caudal and dorsal to the representations of mandibular teeth in the S1 and S2/IOR, respectively.

Free Research Field

神経障害性疼痛

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本実験で得られた結果は，ラットにおいて顎顔面領域における体性感覚および侵害受容による大脳皮質における体部位局在性を明らかにした。今後，神経障害性疼痛モデルラットを作成し，顎顔面領域における神経損傷によって生じる大脳皮質の可塑的変化のメカニズムを明らかにし，神経障害性疼痛の病態生理やメカニズムを理解する上で重要な情報を提供することになる。そして，顎顔面領域に惹起される疼痛異常の神経機構に対するより効果的な治療システムの構築に繋がることが期待できる。