Neural mechanisms of swallowing using cortico-muscular coherence, and effective neurorehabilitation training for dysphagia

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25862071
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Social dentistry
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: MAEZAWA Hitoshi 北海道大学, 歯学研究科(研究院), 助教 (80567727)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 摂食嚥下 / 舌運動 / 運動野 / コヒーレンス / 脳磁図

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Sophisticated tongue movements are essential to swallowing in humans. These fine movements are regulated by descending motor signals from the cortex to the muscles, and by afferent sensory feedback from the muscles to the cortex. We demonstrated the oscillatory synchronization between cortical activity and muscle activity during isometric tongue protrusions in humans. The synchronization was observed at two frequency bands: the β band at 15-35 Hz and a low-frequency band at 2-10 Hz (Neuroimage 2014; 2016). The synchronization at the β band mainly reflects the motor commands from the motor cortex to the tongue. In contrast, the synchronization at a low-frequency band reflects the proprioceptive afferent feedback from the tongue to the somatosensory cortex. Such bidirectional flow of oscillatory information between the cortex and the tongue may be critical to coordination of sophisticated tongue movements in humans.

Free Research Field

口腔生理学