This Article Figures Only Free Full Text Free Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Onozuka, M. Articles by Saito, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Onozuka, M. Articles by Saito, S. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Mapping Brain Region Activity during Chewing: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

¹ Departments of Anatomy and Basic Neuroscience and
² Physiology, Gifu University School of Medicine, 40 Tsukasa-machi, Gifu 500-8705, Japan;
³ Department of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan;
⁴ Department of Radiology, Yoro Central Hospital, Yoro 503-0013, Japan;
⁵ Department of Biochemistry, Kanagawa Dental College, Yokosuka 238-8580, Japan; and
⁶ Oral Health Association of Japan, Tokyo 170-0003, Japan;

Correspondence: ^* corresponding author, onozuka{at}cc.gifu-u.ac.jp

Mastication has been suggested to increase neuronal activities in various regions of the human brain. However, because of technical difficulties, the fine anatomical and physiological regions linked to mastication have not been fully elucidated. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging during cycles of rhythmic gum-chewing and no chewing, we therefore examined the interaction between chewing and brain regional activity in 17 subjects (aged 20-31 years). In all subjects, chewing resulted in a bilateral increase in blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals in the sensorimotor cortex, supplementary motor area, insula, thalamus, and cerebellum. In addition, in the first three regions, chewing of moderately hard gum produced stronger BOLD signals than the chewing of hard gum. However, the signal was higher in the cerebellum and not significant in the thalamus, respectively. These results suggest that chewing causes regional increases in brain neuronal activities which are related to biting force.

Key Words: functional magnetic resonance imaging • gum chewing • masticatory system • brain activation • human

Journal of Dental Research, Vol. 81, No. 11, 743-746 (2002)
DOI: 10.1177/154405910208101104


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. P. DePaola, F. A. Curro, and D. T. Zero Saliva: The precious body fluid J Am Dent Assoc, May 1, 2008; 139(suppl_2): 5S - 10S. [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. A. Curro Gum chewing as an adjunct to use of medications J Am Dent Assoc, May 1, 2008; 139(suppl_2): 6S - 8S. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. G. Piancino, F. Talpone, P. Dalmasso, C. Debernardi, A. Lewin, and P. Bracco Reverse-sequencing chewing patterns before and after treatment of children with a unilateral posterior crossbite Eur J Orthod, October 1, 2006; 28(5): 480 - 484. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G.J. Lavigne, T. Kato, A. Kolta, and B.J. Sessle NEUROBIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN SLEEP BRUXISM Critical Reviews in Oral Biology & Medicine, January 1, 2003; 14(1): 30 - 46. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]