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

描述（申请人提供）：口面感觉运动皮质(OSMcx)-口面初级运动皮质（MIo），初级体感皮质（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，痉挛性语音障碍，言语失用症，磨牙症，慢性疼痛和颞下颌障碍。OSMcx表现出神经可塑性，与获得新的口腔运动技能、口腔内操作和疼痛有关，临床靶向OSMcx在治疗口面部疾病（如吞咽困难）方面有希望。OSMcx神经可塑性与新口腔技能学习之间的关系尚不清楚，OSMcx靶向治疗语言、咀嚼和吞咽障碍康复的潜力几乎没有探索。MIo、SIo和CMAp分别或共同在控制自然喂养和训练的口面部运动任务中起什么作用？OSMcx颅面运动和感觉表征的神经可塑性变化与任务表现的变化有何关系？为了解决这些问题，我们将量化OSMcx的神经可塑性，并通过同时记录MIo， SIo和CMAp在自然喂养和学习舌头突出或切牙咬合任务期间对舌头和颌骨的运动学和动力学进行编码。我们有三个具体目标：目标1：记录进食过程中MIo、SIo和CMAp神经系统活动的调节，以及在这些任务的长期训练之前、期间和之后舌头突出或咬切任务的表现。目的2：在MIo， SIo和CMAp中同时记录神经系统在进食期间和舌头突出或咬切任务执行期间的下颌和舌头运动学和动力学编码，在这些任务的长期训练之前，期间和之后。目的3：在MIo， SIo和CMAp中同时记录与舌突训练或切牙咬合任务相关的神经可塑性的时间和性质。该研究将为OSMcx控制口面部功能的神经过程提供新的见解，并为未来高强度任务训练和OSMcx神经可塑性改变在口面部功能恢复中的康复潜力的研究奠定基础。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触手可及行为的研究，并首次将它们应用于解决口腔面部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.