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Perceiving tongue position
1Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Canada.
Perception
|January 1, 1992
Summary
Human subjects accurately perceive tongue position inside and outside the mouth. This position sense relies on muscles and tendons, not just skin sensation, with minimal improvement from feedback.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Proprioception
- Human motor control
Background:
- Understanding the sensory mechanisms underlying tongue proprioception is crucial for fields like speech therapy and prosthodontics.
- Previous research has not fully elucidated the specific sensory inputs contributing to the perception of tongue position.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the accuracy of horizontal tongue position perception both intra- and extra-orally.
- To determine the contribution of non-cutaneous kinesthetic elements to tongue position sense.
- To examine vertical tongue positioning and the calibration of the tongue's sensory map.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments involving naive human subjects pointing to targets with their tongue.
- Utilizing gingival targets and fingertip extensions as reference points.
- Assessing position sense with and without mucosal anesthesia.
Main Results:
- Accurate perception of tongue position was demonstrated both inside and outside the mouth, with an average error of approximately 2 degrees.
- Position sense remained consistent regardless of mucosal anesthesia, indicating a significant role for muscles, tendons, and corollary discharge.
- External feedback provided minimal improvement in the accuracy of naive subjects' tongue positioning.
Conclusions:
- The tongue possesses a robust and accurate position sense, independent of mucosal sensation.
- Musculoskeletal and corollary discharge mechanisms are key contributors to tongue proprioception.
- The findings have implications for understanding oral motor control and sensory feedback mechanisms.