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Adaptive brain activity changes during tongue movement with palatal coverage from fMRI data.
Yuka Inamochi1, Kenji Fueki2, Nobuo Usui3
1Removable Partial Prosthodontics, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8549, Japan.
Scientific Reports
|July 7, 2021
Summary
New dentures initially impair tongue movement and alter brain activity in the angular gyrus and precuneus. As users adapt over seven days, tongue function improves, and associated brain activity decreases.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Oral Health
- Sensory Adaptation
Background:
- Successful adaptation to dentures with palatal coverage may involve neural changes.
- Tongue motor control is crucial for adapting to new oral environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in brain activity during tongue movement in response to a new oral environment.
- To understand the neural basis of adaptation to palatal coverage.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity during tongue movement.
- Tongue motor dexterity and perceived difficulty were assessed over seven days.
- Twenty-eight subjects without prior denture experience participated.
Main Results:
- Difficulty with tongue movement was highest immediately after insertion (Day 1) and decreased over time.
- Brain activity in the angular gyrus and right precuneus was significantly higher on Day 1 compared to Day 7.
- Increased activation correlated with impaired tongue motor function and spatial monitoring.
Conclusions:
- Initial tongue motor impairment from palatal plates activates brain regions involved in spatial monitoring and motor imagery.
- Reduced activation over time indicates successful adaptation and recovery of tongue motor function.
- Cortical plasticity in sensorimotor areas underlies adaptation to oral appliances.
