Cortical control and biomechanics of tongue movement

PROJECT SUMMARY This research will break new ground in sensorimotor neuroscience by relating cortical and muscle activity data to shape change in a soft-bodied organ, making it possible to evaluate the generalizability of basic principles of motor control across musculoskeletal systems. It will develop and test a computational biomechanical model of tongue function that relates muscle activity to tongue movements, complementing ongoing modeling studies of human tongues based on more limited kinematic and muscle activity data. By using variation in natural feeding behavior to elicit a range of hyolingual kinematics, the research will provide insight into the impact of dietary modification—a treatment for dysphagia—on hyolingual kinematics. This research will lay the groundwork for development of hyolingual neuroprostheses driven by cortical signals to facilitate chewing and swallowing after (e.g., cancer) surgery or degenerative diseases, and for better techniques for non-invasive brain stimulation, muscle stimulation, and rehabilitation exercises used in treatment of, e.g., dysphagia and dysarthria.