Biomedical subjects

Makoto Terumitsu

Publications and source records attributed to Makoto Terumitsu.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Human primary motor cortex shows hemispheric specialization for speech.

Hemispheric specialization is a prominent characteristic of the human brain. Should the 'dominant' hemisphere possess differential neural organization for language production in the 'higher order' cortex, it would be rational to consider that the primary motor cortex may also show similar hemispheric specialization for speech production. In order to test this hypothesis, we investigated the spatial distribution of neural activities associated with phonation (M1p), silent tongue motion (M1t), and vocalization (M1v) within the primary motor cortex, utilizing independent component-cross correlation-sequential epoch analysis of high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging time series. While M1t showed no significant differences between the two hemispheres, M1p and M1v exhibited significant hemispheric differences. The study demonstrated direct evidence that human primary motor cortex possesses clear-cut hemispheric specialization similar to that observed for the higher order cortices.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Characterization of different paresthesias following orthognathic surgery of the mandible.

PURPOSE: Paresthesia is a well known consequence of peripheral nerve injury. However, the neural mechanisms of the 2 recognized types, spontaneous and elicited, are currently unknown. This study aimed to investigate these 2 paresthesias and the possible mechanisms accompanying orthognathic surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Mechanical-touch thresholds and current perception threshold were measured before and 7 days after surgery in 60 chin sites (mental nerve area) of 30 patients who underwent orthognathic surgery. Similar testing was conducted on healthy volunteers (controls). All sites were classified by the presence or absence of each paresthesia: spontaneous paresthesia or no spontaneous paresthesia, and elicited paresthesia or no elicited paresthesia. Presence or absence analyses were followed-up for 6 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: Gender differences and maxillary surgery did not change the incidence of paresthesia during postoperative week 1 (chi-square test, P > .05). A significantly higher mechanical-touch threshold was observed with spontaneous paresthesia compared with no spontaneous paresthesia (Mann-Whitney U-test; P < .05), but not between no elicited paresthesia and elicited paresthesia (Mann-Whitney U-test; P > .05). A significant increase in postsurgery current perception thresholds values compared with presurgery values was observed at 2,000 Hz in spontaneous paresthesia, and at 2,000 and 5 Hz in elicited paresthesia (paired t test, P < .05). The incidence of spontaneous paresthesia decreased more rapidly than elicited, while the latter tended to increase again during the 6-week postsurgical test period. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that both spontaneous and elicited paresthesias are associated with damage and dysfunction in myelinated primary afferent fibers, but additional neural mechanisms are implicated during elicited paresthesia.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Efficacy of steroid treatment for sensory impairment after orthognathic surgery.

PURPOSE: Steroid hormones are therapeutic for motor and/or sensory dysfunctions caused by nerve injury. However, the timing for giving such medicine is unclear. This study aimed to estimate the efficacy of steroid treatment and determine an appropriate start time after sensory impairment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with sensory impairment who received orthognathic surgery were classified into groups called 1W (n = 6), 3W (n = 6), or 6W (n = 8) group on the basis of start time for steroid treatment, being 1 week, 3 weeks, or 6 weeks after surgery, respectively, and a no steroid treatment (NST) group (a control group) (n = 6) that did not receive treatment for 10 to 12 weeks after surgery. Sensory impairment was diagnosed if postoperative first week mechanical-touch threshold was over 4.0 as measured by Semmes aesthesiometer. Prednisolone treatment was administered orally to patients at 30 mg for 7 days, 15 mg for 4 days, and 5 mg for 3 days. Mechanical-touch threshold and thermal perceptions were compared before and after treatment. RESULTS: At 1 week postoperatively, there were no significant differences in mechanical-touch threshold among the 4 groups (analysis of variance, P >.05). Changes in mechanical-touch threshold in the 1W group showed no significant improvement (analysis of variance, P >.05), but in the 3W and 6W groups, there were significant differences compared with the NST group (Dunns methods, P <.05). CONCLUSIONS: Steroid treatment for sensory impairment after orthognathic surgery has the potential to accelerate recovery and it appears desirable to start treatment later than 1 week postoperatively.

Administration, Oral↗