The work focused on the hypoglossal motor system because not all neurons controlling tongue movement die as ALS progresses, particularly during the early stages. Researchers hypothesized that increasing the activity of surviving neurons could help them compensate for neurons that have been lost. Nicole Nichols, an associate professor in the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine and a study coauthor, described this adaptation as neuroplasticity: the nervous system changes how it operates to compensate for damage. In the animal model, tongue exercise improved motor-neuron output associated with tongue movement. Because the evidence came from rodents, however, the magnitude, mechanism and human relevance of the effect remain uncertain.

The functions affected by tongue weakness include speaking, swallowing and breathing. The tongue is critical for swallowing and helps keep the airway open during sleep; as the relevant muscles weaken, people with ALS may develop sleep apnea or difficulty eating and sometimes require feeding tubes. Nichols said that preserving swallowing function could reduce the chance of sleep apnea and potentially mean the difference between needing a feeding tube and continuing to eat normally. Those possible benefits have not yet been tested in patients as a result of this study, and the findings should not be interpreted as evidence of clinical efficacy.

The researchers said the animal results could guide development of treatments that mimic the effects of exercise for people unable to perform tongue training themselves. One proposed line of inquiry is an injectable treatment that activates surviving motor neurons, although this remains a research concept rather than an available therapy. Both tongue exercise and an injectable intervention would require human clinical trials. Nichols and her team aim to work through collaborations at Mizzou’s NextGen Precision Health to move tongue exercise toward trials within the next several years. A key question is whether exercise produces the same increase in surviving-neuron activity in people with motor neuron diseases that was observed in the rodent model. The study also involved swallowing researcher Teresa Lever and artificial intelligence researcher Filiz Bunyak-Ersoy, bringing together expertise from the university’s medical, veterinary and engineering programs.

Subject of Research: A preclinical rodent study of tongue exercise and surviving motor neurons in a model relevant to ALS

Article Title: Mizzou researchers see promise in tongue exercise for ALS

Article References: Mizzou researchers see promise in tongue exercise for ALS. Original publication (Bibliographic details unavailable.)

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DOI: Not provided

Keywords: ALS, tongue exercise, motor neurons, hypoglossal system, neuroplasticity, rodent model, swallowing, University of Missouri, Mizzou, researchers, promise, tongue