Study of cerebral cortical mechanisms possibly responsible for jaw-movement disorders

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Electrical stimulation of the primary somatosensory cortex and the lateral part of the prefrontal cortex (insular cortex) as well as the lateral part of the agranular cortex induced jaw-movements which are specific for the cortical location stimulated. However, stimulation of the medial part of the agranular cortex did not induce any jaw-movements. These cortical areas sent direct projections to the trigeminal sensory nuclear complex and the reticular formation around the trigeminal motor nucleus both of which include excitatory and/or inhibitory premotoneurons. Note that such premotoneurons were also found in the solitary tract nucleus.These results may indicate that several indirect projections from the cerebral cortical areas to the trigeminal motor nucleus via its premotoneurons are involved in the induction of the characteristic jaw-movements, and the jaw-movement disorders are attributed to the disorders of the indirect projection systems from the cerebral cortical areas.