Trigeminal Stimulation and Visuospatial Performance: The Struggle between Chewing and Trigeminal Asymmetries.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Dental Science

Background:

• Chewing stimulates the locus coeruleus (LC), a brain region influencing cognitive functions.
• Visuospatial performance can be modulated by chewing activity.
• Individual differences in chewing muscle activity (masseter electromyography) and resting pupil size (anisocoria) may reflect underlying LC asymmetry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how bilateral and unilateral chewing affect visuospatial performance.
• To examine the influence of chewing asymmetry on these effects.
• To explore the relationship between chewing-induced changes and pupil size asymmetry.

Main Methods:

• Assessed visuospatial performance changes during bilateral and unilateral chewing.
• Measured masseter electromyographic (EMG) activity during clenching to quantify chewing asymmetry.
• Recorded resting pupil size (anisocoria) as a proxy for locus coeruleus (LC) imbalance.

Main Results:

• Visuospatial performance improved with chewing, particularly in males.
• Chewing effects were modulated by the degree of chewing asymmetry (trigeminal asymmetries).
• Pupil size changes correlated with asymmetry values, independent of sex.

Conclusions:

• Chewing facilitates visuospatial performance, with effects influenced by trigeminal asymmetries.
• Occlusal rebalancing may be a strategy to enhance cognitive performance.
• Individual differences in chewing mechanics impact cognitive benefits derived from mastication.