The tongue is essential in normal oromotor function, and is of pre-eminent importance in the production of human speech. Tongue dysfunction is associated with many human clinical syndromes. Yet the design of effective treatments for recovery from tongue dysfunction is hindered by our limited understanding of the neuromuscular bases for tongue motor control. Most critically, we lack information on the organization of the fundamental output elements of the tongue motor system, i.e., tongue muscles, tongue muscle compartments and tongue motor units. The long term goals of this study are to determine the neuromuscular organization of these functional output elements in the human tongue motor system and to improve clinical treatments for recovery from tongue dysfunction. To achieve these goals this study applies anatomical and physiological techniques directly to investigations of the human and non-human primate tongue. The results of these investigations will meet three general aims. First, the architecture of human tongue muscles and the pattern of their motor innervation will be studied to determine the neuroanatomical bases of muscle biomechanical diversity in the human tongue. Second, the identity and distribution of muscle fiber types in the human tongue will be determined to test the hypothesis of parallel anatomical systems for human tongue movement. Third, the morphology and physiology of tongue motor units and muscle compartments will be determined in the non-human primate to allow physiological correlation of anatomical organization. These studies will provide the first detailed understanding of the functional output elements of the human and non-human primate tongue. This understanding is essential if we are to develop accurate models of tongue motor control and if we are to design rational interventions for recovery of tongue function in human disease

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01DC005017-01
Application #
6362138
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-BBBP-7 (01))
Program Officer
Shekim, Lana O
Project Start
2001-07-01
Project End
2006-05-31
Budget Start
2001-07-01
Budget End
2002-05-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$197,702
Indirect Cost
Name
Emory University
Department
Physiology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
042250712
City
Atlanta
State
GA
Country
United States
Zip Code
30322
Sokoloff, Alan J; Douglas, Megan; Rahnert, Jill A et al. (2016) Absence of morphological and molecular correlates of sarcopenia in the macaque tongue muscle styloglossus. Exp Gerontol 84:40-48
Randolph, Matthew E; Luo, Qingwei; Ho, Justin et al. (2014) Ageing and muscular dystrophy differentially affect murine pharyngeal muscles in a region-dependent manner. J Physiol 592:5301-15
Luo, Qingwei; Douglas, Megan; Burkholder, Thomas et al. (2014) Absence of developmental and unconventional myosin heavy chain in human suprahyoid muscles. Muscle Nerve 49:534-44
Rahnert, Jill A; Burkholder, Thomas J (2013) High-frequency electrical stimulation reveals a p38-mTOR signaling module correlated with force-time integral. J Exp Biol 216:2619-31
Daugherty, Megan; Luo, Qingwei; Sokoloff, Alan J (2012) Myosin heavy chain composition of the human genioglossus muscle. J Speech Lang Hear Res 55:609-25
Rahnert, Jill A; Luo, Qingwei; Balog, Edward M et al. (2011) Changes in growth-related kinases in head, neck and limb muscles with age. Exp Gerontol 46:282-91
Rahnert, Jill A; Sokoloff, Alan J; Burkholder, Thomas J (2010) Sarcomeric myosin expression in the tongue body of humans, macaques and rats. Cells Tissues Organs 191:431-42
Sokoloff, Alan J; Daugherty, Megan; Li, Haiyan (2010) Myosin heavy-chain composition of the human hyoglossus muscle. Dysphagia 25:81-93
Sokoloff, Alan J; Yang, Betty; Li, Haiyan et al. (2007) Immunohistochemical characterization of slow and fast myosin heavy chain composition of muscle fibres in the styloglossus muscle of the human and macaque (Macaca rhesus). Arch Oral Biol 52:533-43
Slaughter, Katrina; Li, Haiyan; Sokoloff, Alan J (2005) Neuromuscular organization of the superior longitudinalis muscle in the human tongue. 1. Motor endplate morphology and muscle fiber architecture. Cells Tissues Organs 181:51-64