Development of Optical Stimulation in Dysphagy

咀嚼运动的基本特征是其重复的有节奏的运动，而咀嚼的节奏被认为是由存在于中枢神经系统中的节奏发生器控制的。此外，来自周围神经的感觉信息也参与控制咀嚼系统的运动功能，这被认为是与咀嚼系统相关的神经肌肉协调的本质。虽然先前已经报道了在初级感觉运动区内的一系列咀嚼运动期间激活的区域的标测，这些区域控制着下颌运动和感觉，但咬合引起的激活状态的变化仍然有待澄清。在这项研究中，我们通过检测大脑功能来研究视觉刺激的变化和想象咀嚼对初级感觉运动区内激活区域的影响。以前关于咀嚼的脑地形图研究是使用正电子发射断层扫描(PET)进行的，然而，PET有一个关于辐射暴露的缺点。无创功能磁共振成像(FMRI)用于显示大脑功能区，以确定血氧水平依赖(BOLD)信号，该信号被认为是功能性诱导的大脑局部血流量变化的指标。FMRI测量在1.5T常规全身扫描仪上进行，采用单次激发、多层回波平面成像序列。6名正常志愿者分别在最喜欢的食物成像任务和讨厌的食物成像任务中进行了功能磁共振成像。图像处理使用从fMRI数据确定的具有显著信号强度(SI)变化的所有像素来执行。结果表明，喜爱食物表象任务显著提高了被试的SI。这些发现表明，咀嚼过程中感觉运动皮质的激活随着食物形象的增加而增加。

Masticatory movements is fundamentally characterized by its repeated rhythmical movements, and the rhythm of mastication is known to be controlled by the rhythm generator that exists in the central nervous system. Furthermore, sensory information from the peripheral nerve is also involved in controlling motor function in the masticatory system, which is thought to be the essence of the neuromuscular coordination related to the masticatory system. Although mapping of the area activated during a series of masticatory movements within the primary sensorimotor area known to control mandibular movement as well as sensation has previously been reported, changes in the activation state by clenching remains to be clarified. In this study, we examined the influence of changes in the optical stimulation, and the effect of imaginary mastication on the activated area within the primary sensorimotor area by examining brain function. Previous brain mapping studies on mastication were performed using positron emission tomography (PET), however, PET has a drawback concerning radiation exposure. Non-invasive functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which visualizes the functioning area in the brain, was used to determine blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signals, which are regarded as an index of functionally induced changes in the cerebral regional blood flow. Measurements of fMRI were performed on a conventional whole body 1.5T clinical scanner using a single shot, multislice echo-planar imaging sequence. Six normal volunteers underwent fMRI during favorite food imaging task and hateful food imaging task. Image processing was performed using all pixels with significant signal intensity (SI) change determined from the fMRI data. The findings showed that the SI significantly increased by favorite food imaging task. These findings suggest that activation of the sensorimotor cortex in mastication increases with favorite food image.