Emotional modulation of cortical activity during gum chewing: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

Autor: Yoko Hasegawa, Ayumi Sakuramoto, Tatsuya Suzuki, Joe Sakagami, Masako Shiramizu, Yoshihisa Tachibana, Hiromitsu Kishimoto, Yumie Ono, Takahiro Ono
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Frontiers in Neuroscience, Vol 16 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1662-453X
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.964351
Popis: Distinct brain regions are known to be associated with various emotional states. Cortical activity may be modulated by emotional states that are triggered by flavors during food intake. We examined cortical activity during chewing with different flavors and assessed the emotional modulation of cortical activity using multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy. Thirty-six right-handed volunteers participated in this crossover trial. The participants experienced positive and negative emotions from chewing flavorful (palatable) or less flavorful (unpalatable) gums, respectively for 5 min. Participants rated the taste, odor, and deliciousness of each gum using a visual analog scale. Bilateral hemodynamic responses in the frontal and parietal lobes, bilateral masseter muscle activation, and heart rate were measured during gum chewing. Changes in all measured data during gum chewing were also evaluated. The ratings of the tastes and odors of each gum significantly differed among the participants (P < 0.001). Hemodynamic response changes were significantly elevated in the bilateral primary sensorimotor cortex during gum-chewing, in comparison to resting. The difference in hemodynamic responses between palatable and unpalatable gum conditions was detected in the left frontopolar/dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Muscle activation and heart rate were not significantly different between different gum types. Our findings indicate that differential processing in the left prefrontal cortex might be responsible for the emotional states caused by palatable and unpalatable foods.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals