Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2026
06:59
In Vivo Evaluation of the Mechanical and Viscoelastic Properties of the Rat Tongue
Published on: July 6, 2017
Negative BOLD during tongue movement: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Kiwako Sakamoto1, Hiroki Nakata, Mauro Gianni Perrucci
1ITAB-Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy. kiwakos@nips.ac.jp
Neuroscience Letters
|September 29, 2009
Summary
This functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated brain activity during tongue movement. Negative blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals were observed in the posterior parietal cortex and precuneus, suggesting unique neural networks for tongue control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Motor Control
Background:
- Voluntary movements engage specific brain regions.
- Previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on hand and finger movements show deactivation in motor-related cortical areas.
- The neural underpinnings of voluntary tongue movement, particularly negative blood oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals, remain less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the patterns of brain activation and deactivation during voluntary tongue movement using fMRI.
- To identify brain regions exhibiting negative BOLD signals (deactivation) and positive BOLD signals (activation) during this task.
- To compare the observed BOLD signal patterns with those reported for other voluntary movements, such as hand and finger movements.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to measure brain activity.
- Participants performed voluntary tongue movements.
- Analysis focused on identifying regions with significant positive (activation) and negative (deactivation) BOLD responses.
Main Results:
- Positive BOLD signals, indicating activation, were observed in the primary somatosensory-motor area (SMI), inferior parietal lobule, medial frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, insula, lentiform nucleus, and thalamus.
- Negative BOLD signals, indicating deactivation, were found in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), precuneus, and middle temporal gyrus.
- The observed deactivation patterns in the PPC and precuneus differed from findings in studies of unilateral hand and finger movements.
Conclusions:
- Voluntary tongue movement elicits distinct patterns of brain activation and deactivation compared to limb movements.
- The posterior parietal cortex and precuneus, showing negative BOLD signals, may be involved in specific neural networks unique to voluntary tongue control.
- These findings contribute to a better understanding of the neurobiological basis of oral motor control.
