Division of Oral Function and Rehabilitation, Department of Oral Health Science, Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo, 2-870-1, Sakaecho-nishi, Matsudo, Chiba, 271-8587, Japan.
Section of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
Exp Brain Res. 2019 Oct;237(10):2559-2571. doi: 10.1007/s00221-019-05610-2. Epub 2019 Jul 25.
Since humans in daily life perform multiple motor behaviors that often involve the simultaneous activation of both jaw and tongue muscles, it is essential to understand the effects of combined orofacial sensorimotor tasks on plasticity in corticomotor pathways. Moreover, to establish novel rehabilitation programs for patients, it is important to clarify the possible interrelationships in corticomotor excitability between jaw and tongue motor control. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a combination of a repetitive tooth bite task (TBT) and a repetitive tongue lift task (TLT) on corticomotor excitability of the tongue and jaw muscles as assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Sixteen healthy individuals participated in three kinds of training tasks consisting of 41-min TBT, 41-min TLT, and 82-min TBT + TLT. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) from the tongue muscle, masseter muscle, and first dorsal interosseous muscle were measured before and after the training tasks. The amplitude of tongue MEPs after training with TLT and TLT + TBT, and masseter MEPs after training with TBT and TLT + TBT, were significantly higher than before training (P < 0.05). Tongue MEPs and masseter MEPs were significantly higher after TLT + TBT than after TBT or TLT (P < 0.05). The present results suggest that a task combining both jaw and tongue movement training is associated with a greater degree of neuroplasticity in the corticomotor control of jaw and tongue muscles than either task alone.
由于人类在日常生活中执行多种运动行为，这些行为通常涉及到下颌和舌部肌肉的同时激活，因此理解联合或面部感觉运动任务对皮质运动通路可塑性的影响至关重要。此外，为了为患者建立新的康复计划，阐明下颌和舌部运动控制中皮质运动兴奋性之间的可能相互关系非常重要。本研究旨在通过经颅磁刺激（TMS）检查重复牙咬任务（TBT）和重复舌上举任务（TLT）的组合对舌部和下颌肌肉皮质运动兴奋性的影响。16 名健康个体参与了三种训练任务，包括 41 分钟 TBT、41 分钟 TLT 和 82 分钟 TBT+TLT。在训练任务前后测量了舌肌、咬肌和第一骨间背侧肌的运动诱发电位（MEP）。TLT 和 TBT+TLT 训练后的舌 MEP 振幅以及 TBT 和 TBT+TLT 训练后的咬肌 MEP 振幅均显著高于训练前（P<0.05）。TLT+TLT 后的舌 MEP 和咬肌 MEP 均显著高于 TBT 或 TLT（P<0.05）。本研究结果表明，与单独的下颌或舌运动训练任务相比，联合下颌和舌运动训练的任务与下颌和舌部肌肉皮质运动控制的更大程度的神经可塑性相关。
