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This study were to perform for verifying the activation areas in the human's brain during mastication by using functional-MRI (f-MRI) device on the basis of hypothesis regarding anatomical-physiological parts of brain processing the information of motor and sensory function, and to perform further more for a providing basic provisional foundation about diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of abnormal occlusion as applying functional MRI. Generally healthy 10 volunteers who have a normal occlusion were selected. The half of members
of volunteers was female. Age distributions were approximately alike. Before taking a f-MRI, sufficient practice was carried out as strict standards and made volunteers be not sensible to sweet taste of gum through chewing gum for 30 minutes before taking a f-MRI. Functional images for all volunteers were firstly obtained, and then anatomical images were next. The functional images consisted of echo-planar image volumes which were sensitive to BOLD (blood oxygenation level-dependent) contrast in axial orientation. The volume covered the whole brain with a 64×64 matrix and 42 slices. Images with 64 volumes were acquired under periodic mastication. The orofacial sensorimotor cortex was primary responsible cerebral part during mastication and insula. And also supplementary motor area and cerebellum in brain were intimately connected with mastication. Other numerous anatomical parts of brain were activated
in each volunteer during mastication, but there was no statistical significance in this experiment. Differences according to gender and age were no significance in this study. The f-MRI device showed the accurate and detailed image in activation area of brain through valuable device. It suggested that f-MRI might be helpful to establish the basis of funtional standard occlusion depend on activation area of brain.