Oral Health for Healthy Cognitive Aging

Overview

Oral health is a critical factor of systemic health, although usually forgotten. A potential relation between cognitive deficits and oral diseases has been suggested. Adult cognitive dysfunctions have a high impact, not only economic, but social and in the family environment. Based on anatomical connectivity between the oral cavity and the central nervous system, the proposed study hypothesizes that masticatory function is a relevant determinant of human cognitive health. The restoration of canonical masticatory function and masticatory training could help to delay the development of such conditions. This project will also test if restoring phasic masticatory function improves the execution of cognitive tasks.

Objective 1: To determine volumetric and anatomical changes of subcortical structures and cortical areas involved in the masticatory circuit and superior cognitive functions. Objective 2: To determine the functional and brain connectivity changes associated with malocclusion and oral health. Objective 3: To correlate the anatomic and functional changes associated with malocclusion and oral health with the performance of cognitive tasks representative of those executed in daily life.

Conditions