MRI brain mapping image analysis of oral and maxillofacial region by various sensory stimuli

本研究的目的首先是确定适合于fMRI研究各种感官刺激的合适脉冲序列，建立头部固定和图像处理方法。其次，我们将功能磁共振成像应用于健康志愿者的味觉刺激和吞咽任务，探讨功能磁共振成像在口腔颌面区域临床应用的可能性。2000年，我们首先研究了扫描方法。采用梯度回波型EPI（GE-EPI）和自旋回波型EPI（SE-EPI）两种脉冲序列对手部抓握任务进行了功能磁共振成像研究，并比较了两种脉冲序列的功能磁共振成像图像。结果表明，SE-EPI检测信号的特异性和准确性高于GE-EPI。因此，我们在接下来的研究中确定了SE-EPI序列。将发带和海绵分别应用于头圈和头部进行头部固定。用眼罩和耳塞关闭视觉刺激和听觉刺激。使用Magnetom Vision自带的Numaris软件进行图像处理，采用z-score进行统计计算生成fMRI图像。然后进行味觉刺激的功能磁共振成像研究。我们用了两种调味剂；1M NaCl和3mM糖精。这些味道剂通过管子滴入受试者的口腔，并进行功能磁共振成像扫描。结果表明，脑岛、额盖和父盖被主要被激活。NaCl与糖精的活化区无显著差异。2001年通过吞咽任务进行功能磁共振成像。将蒸馏水以3ml/秒的速度注入受试者口腔。受试者间歇性地吞下水。结果，初级运动皮层和初级体感皮层主要被激活。

The aim of this study was to decide the adequate pulse sequence suitable for fMRI study of various sensory stimuli, and to establish the fixation of the head and image processing method, first of all. Secondly, we applied fMRI to the healthy volunteers on the tasks of gustatory stimulation and swallowing, and investigated the possibility of fMRI in the oral and maxillofacial region on clinical application.In 2000, first of all, we investigated the scanning method. We performed fMRI study of hand-grasping task by two pulse sequences, gradient echo type EPI(GE-EPI), and spin echo type EPI(SE-EPI), and compared the fMRI images by these two sequences. As a result, the specificity and accuracy of the signal detectability by SE-EPI were higher than those by GE-EPI. Therefore, we decided the SE-EPI sequence on the following study.The fixation of the head was performed by applying the hair-band and sponge to the head-coil and the head of the subjects. Visual stimulation and auditory stimulation were shut by using eye-mask and ear-plug.Image processing was performed by the software (Numaris) included in Magnetom Vision, and fMRI images were produced by the statistical calculation using z-score.Then, fMRI study by gustatory stimulation was performed. We used two tastants ; 1M NaCl and 3mM saccharin. These tastants were dropped into the oral cavity of the subjects through the tube, and fMRI scanning was done. As a result, pariental operculum, frontal operculum, and insula were mainly activated. There were no differences of activated areas between NaCl and saccharin.In 2001, fMRI by swallowing task was performed. Distilled water was injected into the oral cavity of the subjects at 3ml/sec. The subjects swallowed the water intermittently. As a result, primary motor cortex, and primary somatosensory cortex were mainly activated.