Neuroplasticity and the role of sensorimotor cortex in control of orofacial funct

描述（由申请人提供）：口面感觉运动皮质（OSMcx）-口面初级运动皮质（Mio）、初级躯体感觉皮质（SIo）、皮质咀嚼区（CMAp）-功能障碍与许多口面感觉运动障碍有关，包括吞咽困难、口面肌张力障碍和构音障碍、痉挛性发音障碍、言语失用症、磨牙症、慢性疼痛和颞下颌关节紊乱。OSMcx显示出与获得新的口腔运动技能、口内操作和疼痛相关的神经可塑性，并且临床靶向OSMcx在治疗口面疾病（例如吞咽困难）方面具有前景。OSMcx神经可塑性和学习新的口腔技能之间的关系知之甚少，OSMcx靶向治疗对语言，咀嚼和吞咽障碍的康复潜力几乎没有探索。在控制自然进食和训练的口面运动任务中，MIo、SIo和CMAp独立和共同扮演什么角色？OSMcx口面运动和感觉表征的神经可塑性变化如何与任务表现的变化相关？ 为了解决这些问题，我们将量化OSMcx中的神经可塑性，并通过在自然进食和学习舌头突出或切牙咬合任务期间同时记录MIO，SIO和CMAp来编码舌头和下颌运动学和动力学。我们有三个具体目标：目标1：记录在喂食期间MIO、SIO和CMAp中神经系综的活动的调节，以及在对这些任务进行长期训练之前、期间和之后的舌头伸出或门牙咬任务的表现。目标二：同时在MIO，SIO，和CMAp中记录在喂食期间和在舌头伸出或切牙咬合任务的执行期间在这些任务的长期训练之前，期间和之后的神经集合中的下颌和舌头运动学和动力学的编码。目标3：同时记录MIO、SIO和CMAp中与舌头伸出或切牙咬合任务训练相关的神经可塑性的时间和性质。这项研究将为OSMcx控制口面功能的神经过程提供新的见解，并为今后研究强化任务训练的康复潜力和OSMcx在口面功能恢复中的神经可塑性变化奠定基础。这些数据将为针对OSMcx的感觉运动障碍的治疗提供信息，例如使用刺激或脑机接口的治疗。拟议的研究将利用神经记录，运动学测量和数据分析方面的重大进展，这些进展正在应用于伸手抓握行为的研究，并首次将其应用于解决口面功能的临床重要问题。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Orofacial sensorimotor cortex (OSMcx)-orofacial primary motor cortex (MIo), primary somatosensory cortex (SIo), cortical masticatory area (CMAp)-dysfunction has been implicated in many orofacial sensorimotor disorders, including dysphagia, orofacial dystonia and dysarthria, spasmodic dysphonia, apraxia of speech, bruxism, chronic pain, and temporomandibular disorders. OSMcx displays neuroplasticity in association with acquisition of novel oral motor skills, intra-oral manipulations, and pain, and clinically targeting OSMcx has promise in treatment of orofacial disorders, such as dysphagia. The relationship between OSMcx neuroplasticity and learning of new oral skills is poorly understood, and the potential of OSMcx-targeted therapies for rehabilitation of speech, chewing, and swallowing disorders is barely explored. What roles do MIo, SIo, & CMAp independently and collectively play in control of natural feeding and trained orofacial motor tasks? How are neuroplastic changes in OSMcx orofacial motor and sensory representations related to changes in task performance? To address these questions, we will quantify neuroplasticity in OSMcx, and encoding of tongue and jaw kinematics and kinetics by recording simultaneously from MIo, SIo, & CMAp during natural feeding and learning of tongue protrusion or incisor biting tasks. We have 3 specific aims: Aim 1: to document the modulation of activity in neural ensembles in MIo, SIo, & CMAp during feeding, and performance of tongue protrusion or incisor-biting tasks before, during, and after long-term training to these tasks. Aim 2: to document simultaneously in MIo, SIo, & CMAp the encoding of jaw and tongue kinematics and kinetics in neural ensembles during feeding and during performance of tongue protrusion or incisor-biting tasks before, during, and after long-term training to these tasks. Aim 3: to document simultaneously in MIo, SIo, & CMAp the timing and nature of neuroplasticity associated with training in tongue protrusion or incisor biting tasks. The proposed research will provide novel insights into neuronal processes underlying OSMcx control of orofacial function and lay the groundwork for future studies of the rehabilitative potential of intensive task training and neuroplastic changes n OSMcx in recovery of orofacial function. These data will inform treatments of sensorimotor disorders that target OSMcx, such as those using stimulation or brain machine interfaces. The proposed research will leverage significant advances in neural recording, kinematic measurement, and data analysis that are being applied to studies of reach-to-grasp behaviors and, for the first time, apply them to addressing clinically significant problems in orofacial function.