Afferent information derived from proprioceptive and cutaneous mechanosensitive inputs may play an important role in the moment-to-moment coordination of movement. It is hypothesized that speech which involves small forces and movements, is strongly influences by such afferent information. At present, very little information is available concerning the effects of innocuous mechanical inputs on oromotor behaviors. The proposed studies will expand our knowledge of sensorimotor integration on force control in the perioral complex by using the mechanically evoked perioral reflex paradigm as a probe to quantify the changes in excitability occurring at the level of the facial nucleus during sucking, lip posturing, and speech. Experiments will involve testing subjects throughout the age range from infants to elderly adults. It is hoped that the proposed experiments will provide new developmental information on the relations between controlled mechanical inputs delivered to the lower face and features of evoked muscle activity, including specificity, modulation, and spatial summation. In addition, the testing of infants and very young children will provide new means to quantitatively assess trigemino-facial function in these populations.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC000365-06
Application #
3216690
Study Section
Sensory Disorders and Language Study Section (CMS)
Project Start
1987-04-01
Project End
1994-08-31
Budget Start
1992-09-01
Budget End
1993-08-31
Support Year
6
Fiscal Year
1992
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Indiana University Bloomington
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
006046700
City
Bloomington
State
IN
Country
United States
Zip Code
47401
Andreatta, Richard D; Barlow, Steven M (2009) Somatosensory gating is dependent on the rate of force recruitment in the human orofacial system. J Speech Lang Hear Res 52:1566-78
Andreatta, Richard D; Barlow, Steven M (2003) Movement-related modulation of vibrotactile detection thresholds in the human orofacial system. Exp Brain Res 149:75-82
Barlow, S M; Dusick, A; Finan, D S et al. (2001) Mechanically evoked perioral reflexes in premature and term human infants. Brain Res 899:251-4
Finan, D S; Barlow, S M (1998) Intrinsic dynamics and mechanosensory modulation of non-nutritive sucking in human infants. Early Hum Dev 52:181-97
Andreatta, R D; Barlow, S M; Biswas, A et al. (1996) Mechanosensory modulation of perioral neuronal groups during active force dynamics. J Speech Hear Res 39:1006-17
Finan, D S; Barlow, S M (1996) The actifier: a device for neurophysiological studies of orofacial control in human infants. J Speech Hear Res 39:833-8
Andreatta, R D; Barlow, S M; Finan, D S (1994) Modulation of the mechanically evoked perioral reflex during active force dynamics in young adults. Brain Res 646:175-9
Barlow, S M; Finan, D S; Bradford, P T et al. (1993) Transitional properties of the mechanically evoked perioral reflex from infancy through adulthood. Brain Res 623:181-8
Barlow, S M (1991) Modulation of mechanically evoked perioral reflexes during active force. Brain Res 565:330-6
Barlow, S M; Muller, E M (1991) The relation between interangle span and in vivo resultant force in the perioral musculature. J Speech Hear Res 34:252-9