From Pain to Movement: A Tribute to Professor Barry J. Sessle

This tribute article to Professor Barry J. Sessle summarizes the 6 presentations delivered at the July 1, 2008 symposium at the University of Toronto. The symposium honored 3 “giants” in orofacial neuroscience, Professors B.J. Sessle, J.P. Lund, and A.G. Hannam. The 6 presentations paying tribute to Sessle spanned the period from the early phase of his career up to some of his most recent studies with colleagues in Asia, Europe, and Australia as well as Canada. The studies have included those providing an improved understanding of the cortical control of sensory inputs in pain perception (presented by R. Dubner) and in the control of mastication and swallowing, as well as brainstem mechanisms of orofacial pain (K. Iwata, G. Murray). His current activities in his laboratory and in Denmark are also highlighted (L. Avivi-Arber, P. Svensson). The potential transfer of basic research discoveries toward drug development in pain control that stem from some of his research is also described (B. Cairns). The final section of the paper includes a commentary from Professor Sessle.

experimental pain; hypertonic saline; jaw muscles; jaw movement; motor cortex; sensorimotor

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2. Dubner R, Sessle BJ, Gobel S. Presynaptic depolarization of corticofugal fibres participating in a feedback loop between trigeminal brain stem nuclei and sensorimotor cortex. Nature 1969;223:72–73.

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4. Dubner R, Kawamura Y (eds). Oral-facial Sensory and Motor Mechanisms. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1971.

5. Dubner R, Sessle BJ, Storey AT. The Neural Basis of Oral and Facial Function. New York: Plenum Press, 1978.

6. Lund JP, Lavigne GJ, Dubner R, Sessle BJ (eds). Orofacial Pain: From Basic Science to Clinical Management. Chicago: Quintessence, 2001.

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9. Sessle BJ, Yao DY, Nishiura H, et al. Properties and plasticity of the primate somatosensory and motor cortex related to orofacial sensorimotor function. Clin Exp Pharmac Physiol 2005;32:109–114.

10. Murray GM, Lin L-D, Moustafa E, Sessle BJ. The effects of reversible inactivation by cooling of the primate face motor cortex on the performance of a trained tongue-protrusion task and a trained biting task. J Neurophysiol 1991;65:511–530.

11. Murray GM, Sessle BJ. Functional properties of single neurons in the face primary motor cortex of the primate.

II. Relations with trained orofacial behavior. J Neurophysiol 1992;67:759–774.

12. Martin RE, Murray GM, Kemppainen P, Masuda Y, Sessle BJ. Functional properties of neurons in the primate tongue primary motor cortex during swallowing. J Neurophysiol 1997;78:1516–1530.

13. Lin L-D, Murray GM, Sessle BJ. The effect of bilateral cold block of the primate face primary somatosensory cortex on the performance of trained tongue-protrusion task and biting tasks. J Neurophysiol 1993;70:985–996.

14. Lin L-D, Murray GM, Sessle BJ. Functional properties of single neurons in the primate face primary somatosensory cortex. I. Relations with trained orofacial motor behaviors. J Neurophysiol 1994;71:2377–2390.

15. Hannam AG, McMillan AS. Internal organization in the human jaw muscles. Crit Rev Oral Biol Med 1994;5: 55–89.

16. Phanachet I, Whittle T, Wanigaratne K, Klineberg IJ, Sessle BJ, Murray GM. Functional heterogeneity in the superior head ofthe human lateral pterygoid. J Dent Res 2003;82:106–111.

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18. Adachi K, Murray GM, Lee J-C, Sessle BJ. Noxious lingual stimulation influences the excitability of the face primary motor cerrebral cortex (face MI) in the rat. J Neurophysiol 2008;180:1234–1244.

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20. Sessle BJ. Mechanisms of oral somatosensory and motor functions and their clinical correlates. J Oral Rehabil 2006;33:243–261.

21. Sessle BJ, Adachi K, Avivi-Arber L, et al. Neuroplasticity of face primary motor cortex control of orofacial movements. Arch Oral Biol 2007;52:334–337.

22. Adachi K, Lee JC, Hu JW, Yao D, Sessle BJ. Motor cortex neuroplasticity associated with lingual nerve injury in rats. Somatosens Mot Res 2007;24:97–109.

23. Svensson P, Romaniello A, Wang K, Arendt-Nielsen L, Sessle BJ. One hour of tongue-task training is associated with plasticity in corticomotor control of the human tongue musculature. Exp Brain Res 2006;173(1):165–173.

24. Boudreau S, Romaniello A, Wang K, Svensson P, Sessle BJ, Arendt-Nielsen L. The effects of intra-oral pain on motor cortex neuroplasticity associated with short-term novel tongue-protrusion training in humans. Pain 2007;132(1–2):169–178.

25. Hu JW, Woda A, Sessle BJ. Effects of pre-emptive local anaesthesia on tooth pulp deafferentation-induced neuroplastic changes in cat trigeminal brainstem neurones. Arch Oral Biol 1999;44:287–293.

26. Kwan CL, Hu JW, Sessle BJ. Effects of tooth-pulp deafferentation on brain-stem neurons of the rat trigeminal subnucleus oralis. Somatosens Mot Res 1993;10:115–131.

27. Chiang CY, Park SJ, Kwan CL, Hu JW, Sessle BJ. NMDA receptor mechanisms contribute to neuroplasticity induced in caudalis nociceptive neurons by tooth pulp stimulation. J Neurophysiol 1998;80:2621–2631.

28. Chiang CY, Zhang S, Xie YF, et al. Endogenous ATP involvement in mustard-oil-induced central sensitization in trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (medullary dorsal horn). J Neurophysiol 2005;94:1751–1760.

29. Jennings EA, Christie MJ, Sessle BJ. ATP potentiates neurotransmission in the rat trigeminal subnucleus caudalis. Neuroreport 2006;17:1507–1510.

30. Zhang S, Chiang CY, Xie YF, et al. Central sensitization in thalamic nociceptive neurons induced by mustard oil application to rat molar tooth pulp. Neuroscience 2006; 142(3):833–842.

31. Chiang CY, Lia Z, Dostrovsky JO, Hu JW, Sessle BJ. Glutamine uptake contributes to central sensitization in the medullary dorsal horn. Neuroreport 2008.

32. Chiang CY, Wang J, Xie YF, Zhang S, Hu JW, Dostrovsky JO, Sessle BJ: Astroglial glutamate-glutamine shuttle is involved in central sensitization of nociceptive neurons in rat medullary dorsal horn. J Neurosci 2007; 27:9068–9076.

33. Bakke M, Hu JW, Sessle BJ. Involvement of NK-1 and NK-2 tachykinin receptor mechanisms in jaw muscle activity reflexly evoked by inflammatory irritant application to the rat temporomandibular joint. Pain 1998;75: 219–227.

34. Broton JG, Sessle BJ. Reflex excitation of masticatory muscles induced by algesic chemicals applied to the temporomandibular joint of the cat. Arch Oral Biol 1988;33: 741–747.

35. Cairns BE, Sessle BJ, Hu JW. Evidence that excitatory amino acid receptors within the temporomandibular joint region are involved in the reflex activation of the jaw muscles. J Neurosci 1998;18:8056–8064.

36. Hu JW, Yu X-M, Vernon H, Sessle BJ. Excitatory effects on neck and jaw muscle activity of inflammatory irritant applied to cervical paraspinal tissues. Pain 1993;55: 243–250.

37. Lam DK, Sessle BJ, Cairns BE, Hu JW. Peripheral NMDA receptor modulation of jaw muscle electromyographic activity induced by capsaicin injection into the temporomandibular joint of rats. Brain Res 2005;104:68–76.

38. Yu X-M, Sessle BJ, Vernon H, Hu JW. Effects of inflammatory irritant application to the rat temporomandibular joint on jaw and neck muscle activity. Pain 1995;60: 143–149.

39. Svensson P, Wang K, Sessle BJ, Arendt-Nielsen L. Association between pain and neuromuscular activity in the human jaw and neck muscles. Pain 2004;109: 225–232.

40. Sessle BJ, Hu JW, Amano N, Zhong G. Convergence of cutaneous, tooth pulp, visceral, neck and muscle afferents onto nociceptive and non-nociceptive neurones in trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (medullary dorsal horn) and its implication for referred pain. Pain 1986;27:219–235.

41. Ge HY, Wang K, Madeleine P, Svensson P, Sessle BJ, Arendt-Nielsen L. Simultaneous modulation of the exteroceptive suppression periods in the trapezius and temporalis muscles by experimental muscle pain. Clin Neurophysiol 2004;115:1399–1408.

42. Wang K, Sessle BJ, Svensson P, Arendt-Nielsen L. Glutamate evoked neck and jaw muscle pain facilitate the human jaw stretch reflex. Clin Neurophysiol 2004;115:1288–1295.

43. Svensson P, Sessle BJ. Orofacial pain. In: Miles TS, Nauntofte B, Svensson P (eds). Clinical Oral Physiology. Chicago: Quintessence, 2004:93–139.

44. Lavigne GJ, Kato T, Kolta A, Sessle BJ. Neurobiological mechanisms involved in sleep bruxism. Crit Rev Oral Biol Med 2003;14:30–46.

45. Svensson P, Jadidi F, Arima T, Baad-Hansen L, Sessle BJ. Relationships between craniofacial pain and bruxism. J Oral Rehabil 2008;35:524–547.

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49. Cairns BE, Sessle BJ, Hu JW. Temporomandibular-evoked jaw muscle reflex: Role of brain stem NMDA and non-NMDA receptors. Neuroreport 2001;12:1875–1878.

50. Yu X-M, Sessle BJ, Haas DA, Izzo A, Vernon H, Hu JW. Involvement of NMDA receptor mechanisms in jaw electromyographic activity and plasma extravasation induced by inflammatory irritant application to temporomandibular joint region of rats. Pain1996;68:169–178.

51. Cairns BE, Sim Y-L, Bereiter DA, Sessle BJ, Hu JW. Influence of sex on reflex jaw muscle activity evoked from the rat temporomandibular joint. Brain Res 2002;957: 338–344.

52. Ayesh EE, Jensen TS, Svensson P. Effects of intra-articular ketamine on pain and somatosensory function in temporomandibular joint arthralgia patients. Pain (in press).

53. Cairns BE, Sessle BJ, Hu JW. Activation of peripheral GABAA receptors inhibits temporomandibular joint-evoked jaw muscle activity. J Neurophysiol 1999;81: 1966–1969.

54. Yu X-M, Sessle BJ, Vernon H, Hu JW. Administration of opiate antagonist naloxone induces recurrence of increased jaw muscle activities related to inflammatory irritant application to rat temporomandubular joint region. J Neurophysiol 1994;72:1430–1433.

55. Bakke M, Hu JW, Sessle BJ. Morphine application to peripheral tissues modulates nociceptive jaw reflex. Neuroreport 1998;9:3315–3319.

56. Cai BBY, Cairns BE, Sessle BJ, Hu JW. Suppression of reflex jaw muscle activity by peripheral morphine but not GABA, is sex-related. Neuroreport 2001;12:1–4.

57. List T, Tegelberg A, Haraldson T, Isacsson G. Intra-articular morphine as analgesic in temporomandibular joint arthralgia/osteoarthritis. Pain 2001;94:275–282.

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