title: Mastication induces long-term increases in blood perfusion of the trigeminal principal nucleus.
abstract: Understanding mechanisms for vessel tone regulation within the trigeminal nuclei is of great interest because some headache syndromes are due to dysregulation of such mechanisms. Previous experiments on animal models suggest that mastication may alter neuron metabolism and blood supply in these nuclei. To investigate this hypothesis in humans, arterial spin-labeling magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to measure blood perfusion within the principal trigeminal nucleus (Vp) and in the dorsolateral-midbrain (DM, including the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus) in healthy volunteers, before and immediately after a mastication exercise consisting of chewing a gum on one side of the mouth for 1 h at 1 bite/s. The side preference for masticating was evaluated with a chewing test and the volume of the masseter muscle was measured on T1-weighted MRI scans. The results demonstrated that the mastication exercise caused a perfusion increase within the Vp, but not in the DM. This change was correlated to the preference score for the side where the exercise took place. Moreover, the basal Vp perfusion was correlated to the masseter volume. These results indicate that the local vascular tone of the trigeminal nuclei can be constitutively altered by the chewing practice and by strong or sustained chewing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Via S. Allende, 84081 Baronissi (Salerno), Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viggiano
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Via S. Allende, 84081 Baronissi (Salerno), Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manara
authors.affiliation: MRI Center SUN-FISM, Institute for Diagnosis and Care "Hermitage Capodimonte", Via Cupa delle Tozzole, 2, 80145 Naples, Italy; Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Piazza L. Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Conforti
authors.affiliation: MRI Center SUN-FISM, Institute for Diagnosis and Care "Hermitage Capodimonte", Via Cupa delle Tozzole, 2, 80145 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paccone
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Via S. Allende, 84081 Baronissi (Salerno), Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Secondulfo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Via S. Allende, 84081 Baronissi (Salerno), Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lorusso
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Via S. Allende, 84081 Baronissi (Salerno), Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sbordone
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Via S. Allende, 84081 Baronissi (Salerno), Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Salle
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Via Santa Maria di Costantinopoli 16, 80138 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monda
authors.affiliation: MRI Center SUN-FISM, Institute for Diagnosis and Care "Hermitage Capodimonte", Via Cupa delle Tozzole, 2, 80145 Naples, Italy; Department of Medical, Surgical, Neurological, Metabolic and Aging Sciences, Second University of Naples, Piazza L. Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tedeschi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Via S. Allende, 84081 Baronissi (Salerno), Italy. Electronic address: faesposito@unisa.it.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002638:Chewing Gum; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008406:Masseter Muscle / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014278:Trigeminal Nuclei / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002638:Chewing Gum
keywords: arterial spin labeling; cerebral perfusion; functional magnetic resonance imaging; mastication; trigeminal nuclei