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3D directional tuning in the orofacial sensorimotor cortex during natural feeding and drinking
Victoria B Hosack1, Fritzie I Arce-McShane1,2,3
1Department of Oral Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|July 15, 2024
Summary
Researchers studied how the brain encodes 3D tongue movements during feeding and drinking. They found that the orofacial sensorimotor cortex (OSMCx) shows directional tuning, which is affected by oral sensation loss.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
- Sensory-Motor Integration
Background:
- Directional tongue movements are crucial for feeding, speech, and swallowing.
- Understanding 3D tongue movement encoding in the orofacial cortex is vital for treating orolingual dysfunctions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate 3D tongue movement encoding in the orofacial sensorimotor cortex (OSMCx) during natural behaviors.
- To determine how oral sensory loss impacts this neural encoding.
Main Methods:
- Biplanar video-radiography tracked 3D tongue movements in non-human primates (Macaca mulatta).
- Simultaneous neural recordings from primary motor (MIo) and somatosensory (SIo) orofacial cortex.
- Oral sensation was temporarily blocked using trigeminal nerve blocks.
Main Results:
- A majority of MIo neurons, but not SIo neurons, showed 3D directional tuning during feeding.
- Most neurons in both MIo and SIo were tuned to tongue protrusion direction during drinking.
- Sensory loss reduced the proportion of directionally tuned neurons and shifted preferred directions in OSMCx.
Conclusions:
- 3D directional tuning of MIo and SIo neurons varies with behavioral tasks (feeding vs. drinking).
- Sensory information significantly influences the neural representation of tongue movements in the OSMCx.
- Findings provide insights into neural mechanisms of orolingual control and orolingual dysfunction rehabilitation.
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