Brain control of flexible mouth and face movements
Top-down and bottom-up signals for flexible orofacial behaviors
This project looks at how the brain sends and receives signals to control flexible mouth, tongue, and face movements to help people who have trouble chewing, swallowing, or speaking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11167726 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research uses mice to model how the brain plans and adjusts mouth and face movements such as licking, chewing, and swallowing. Scientists will train mice on different licking-based tasks that change sensory and motor demands. They will record populations of cortical neurons that send signals down to mid- and hindbrain circuits and measure the sensory feedback that comes back up. The team aims to map how high-level planning signals and low-level feedback combine to produce flexible and safe orofacial actions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with swallowing (dysphagia), chewing, speech, or other orofacial motor control problems would be most likely to follow or benefit from this research.
Not a fit: Patients whose conditions do not affect mouth, tongue, or facial movement are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific laboratory-based animal research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could guide new treatments, therapies, or devices to reduce choking and improve swallowing, chewing, and speech function.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal and human studies have identified brain areas involved in orofacial motor control, but simultaneously measuring descending cortical commands and ascending sensory feedback during flexible behaviors is a newer approach with limited prior clinical translation.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'connor, Daniel Hans — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: O'connor, Daniel Hans
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.