3D directional tuning in the orofacial sensorimotor cortex during natural feeding and drinking.

ABSTRACT: Directional tongue movements are crucial for feeding and speech, ensuring proper food positioning for chewing and swallowing, as well as accurate sound production. While directional tuning in the arm region of the sensorimotor cortex during reaching tasks is well-studied, little is known about how 3D tongue direction is encoded in the orofacial sensorimotor cortex (OSMCx) during natural behaviors. Understanding this neural representation has important implications for rehabilitating individuals with orolingual dysfunctions. This study examines the directional tuning and population dynamics in OSMCx during naturalistic feeding and drinking, and how these are affected by sensory loss. Using biplanar videoradiography, we tracked implanted tongue markers in behaving rhesus macaques (Macaca

SUBMITTER: Hosack VB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11244964 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature