Electrical Stimulation of the Human Cerebral Cortex by Extracranial Muscle Activity: Effect Quantification With Intracranial EEG and FEM Simulations

OBJECTIVE: Electric fields (EF) of approx. 0.2 V/m have been shown to be sufficiently strong to both modulate neuronal activity in the cerebral cortex and have measurable effects on cognitive performance. We hypothesized that the EF caused by the electrical activity of extracranial muscles during natural chewing may reach similar strength in the cerebral cortex and hence might act as an endogenous modality of brain stimulation. Here, we present first steps toward validating this hypothesis. METHODS: Using a realistic volume conductor head model of an epilepsy patient having undergone intracranial electrode placement and utilizing simultaneous intracranial and extracranial electrical recordings during chewing, we derive predictions about the chewing-related cortical EF strength to be expected in healthy individuals. RESULTS: We find that in the region of the temporal poles, the expected EF strength may reach amplitudes in the order of 0.1–1 V/m. CONCLUSION: The cortical EF caused by natural chewing could be large enough to modulate ongoing neural activity in the cerebral cortex and influence cognitive performance. SIGNIFICANCE: The present study lends first support for the assumption that extracranial muscle activity might represent an endogenous source of electrical brain stimulation. This offers a new potential explanation for the puzzling effects of gum chewing on cognition, which have been repeatedly reported in the literature.