Dental Neuroimaging - Chia-shu Lin

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      List of Abbreviations

      Preface

      About 20 years ago when I just finished my DDS programme, new frontiers were rapidly expanding in dentistry and brain science. Dentistry was markedly revolutionized by innovations in biological, material and digital technology. Brain science, with the use of non‐invasive neuroimaging approaches, has risen as a mainstream field in clinical science. At the beginning of the twenty‐first century, we have witnessed the advancement of neuroimaging in various health‐related fields, such as neurodegenerative disorders and psychiatric diseases. In contrast, our knowledge of the stomatognathic system is largely based on animal and clinical research, and the brain's role in oral functions has not been fully elucidated. During my college days, the topic of the human brain and mental functions has been rarely discussed in dental textbooks.

      This book responds to the evolution of using neuroimaging approaches to investigate the human brain and oral functions, which has been lasting for decades and become gradually popular in recent years. As a relatively uncharted field, ‘dental neuroimaging’ is not merely an adoption of a new method in dental research. It also focuses on the cross‐disciplinary investigation about the connection between the brain, the stomatognathic system and oral health‐related behaviour. As shown in the book, neuroimaging studies have provided many insights on the mechanisms of oral diseases, such as chronic orofacial pain and swallowing and masticatory dysfunctions. Moreover, as I have emphasized in this book, the knowledge from neuroimaging research also contributes to translational application in clinical management, such as the management of geriatric and special needs patients.

      Undeniably, a single book will not cover all the progress of neuroimaging research related to oral health. The book focuses on the future directions and challenges of dental neuroimaging research rather than merely a conclusion of past knowledge about the brain and oral functions. In this book, while the key results from classic research works are summarized, more emphasis is put on recent findings and the current trend in neuroimaging research of oral topics.

      As an investigator who is lucky enough to witness the rise of this cross‐disciplinary field, I hope you enjoy this book and that you would appreciate how neuroimaging helps to unravel the mysterious connection between the brain and oral functions.

      Introduction to Students and Instructors

      This book consists of nine inter‐related chapters, which are organized into three parts. Part I Methods of Neuroimaging and Assessment of Oral Functions focuses on the methodological issues of the research of the association between the human brain and the stomatognathic functions, which covers an introduction to theoretical frameworks of the brain–stomatognathic connection (Chapter 1), an introduction to neuroimaging methods, with a focus on magnetic resonance imaging (Chapter 2), and an introduction to clinical assessments of oral functions (Chapter 3).

      Part II Neuroimaging Research of Brain Mechanisms of Oral Functions focuses on recent neuroimaging findings of oral sensory and motor functions, including the brain mechanisms of oral motor functions (e.g. mastication and swallowing) (Chapter 4), oral sensory functions (e.g. somatosensation and gustation) (Chapter 5) and orofacial pain and anxiety (Chapter 6).

      Finally, in Part III Translational Research of Dental Neuroimaging, the issues related to clinical applications of dental neuroimaging are reviewed, including the association between ageing and oral function (Chapter 7), the brain mechanisms of the plasticity and adaptation of oral functions (Chapter 8) and future directions about the translation application of neuroimaging in clinical management (Chapter 9).

      To readers who explore the field of brain imaging for the first time, key information regarding imaging and brain science can be found in the following supplementary materials.

       From the Brain to Behaviour: These text boxes provide further information regarding the basic information in cognitive neuroscience.

       From Research to Practice: These text boxes provide suggestions about how to properly interpret a neuroimaging finding and how the findings are related to clinical questions.

       From Tools to Discovery: These online materials include video courses that demonstrate how to use basic research tools in neuroimaging.

      Further correspondence from students, faculty and clinicians is welcome.

      Please send the message to

      Chia‐Shu Lin; e‐mail: [email protected].

      Acknowledgements

      Writing this book echoes my career as a neuroscientist and a dentist. I am grateful to Dr Shin‐Fang Yang and Dr. Mei‐Yu Chen, who showed me the road of being a scientist, Dr Irene Tracey and Dr Katja Wiech, who introduced functional neuroimaging to me during my DPhil study at the University of Oxford, and Dr Jen‐Chuen Hsieh, who inspired me with many insights on brain science during my postdoctoral research at Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

      My exploration in dental neuroimaging, a new frontier in dentistry, is greatly benefited from the discussion with my colleagues from dental research: Dr Ming‐Lun Hsu, Dr Shyh‐Yuan Lee, Dr Kuo‐Wei Chang and Dr Ching‐Yi Wu, and colleagues in from brain research: Dr David Niddam and Dr Li‐Fen Chen, at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. The exploration cannot go further without the professional support from the 3T MRI Core Facility at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.

      I am grateful to the managers and editors from Wiley Publishing: Associate Commissioning

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