Kinematics of the buccal mass during swallowing based on magnetic resonance imaging in intact, behaving Aplysia californica
David M. Neustadter1,2,
Richard F. Drushel3 and
Hillel J. Chiel1,3,4,*
1
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University,
Cleveland, OH 44106-7080, USA
2
MR Systems Department, G. E. Medical Systems Israel Ltd, Keren Hayesod
Street, PO Box 2071, Tirat Carmel 39120, Israel
3
Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
44106-7080, USA
4
Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland,
OH 44106-7080, USA

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Fig. 1. Key components of the magnetic resonance imaging techniques for intact,
behaving Aplysia californica. (A) Imaging sequence. Gradient echo
planar imaging (EPI) sequence with TR (acquisition time)=155 ms, TE (time to
echo)=73 ms, acquisition matrix=64x128; FOV (field of view)=6.4
cmx12.8 cm; slice thickness=3 mm. RF, radio frequency. (B) The imaging
tank and coil showing the opening through which Aplysia californica
is inserted after being placed in the slug holding capsule. (C) The slug
holding capsule showing the food spool, seaweed extract tube and strings for
positioning the capsule within the tank.
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Fig. 2. Determining that the mid-sagittal image is correctly oriented. The
mid-sagittal image is shown at the bottom. The right of the figure is anterior
(the jaws of the animal) and left of the figure is posterior (the lumen of the
gut and the esophagus are visible and labelled; this convention for
positioning mid-sagittal images will be used throughout the paper). The
coronal image that was recorded 155 ms before this mid-sagittal image is shown
in the middle (right is anterior, left is posterior) and the axial image
recorded 155 ms after this mid-sagittal image is shown at the top (left is
dorsal, right is ventral). Note that the orthogonal images are both
symmetrical and centered around the midline, providing evidence that the
sagittal image is neither para-sagittal nor significantly rotated.
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Fig. 3. Mid-sagittal anatomy of buccal mass and radular stalk measurements. Key
anatomical features visible in mid-sagittal fixed tissue (A) and in
high-spatial-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) images (B) are indicated. The
features outlined in the high-temporal-resolution MR images (see
Fig. 4) are visible. To create
a reference length for measurements that could be reliably measured on the
high-temporal-resolution MR images, the length of the inner width of the
radular stalk was used. To relate this width to external measurements of
radular stalk width, we measured the ratio of the outer to the inner widths in
fixed tissue (A), in high-resolution MR images (B) and in freshly dissected
tissue (not shown). (C) Radular stalk shape based on a three-dimensional
reconstruction of high-resolution MR images. (D) Mid-sagittal view of radular
stalk shape based on the three-dimensional reconstruction shown in C.
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Fig. 4. Measurements on high-temporal-resolution magnetic resonance images. The
same image is shown in A-D. (A) Radular stalk outline (see
Fig. 3 and text) and a line
indicating the axis of the radular stalk. (B) The angle of the anterior margin
of the odontophore, determined by the margin of the I6 muscle just posterior
to the prow (see Fig. 6 and
text). (C) Outline of the odontophore including the prow. (D) Image showing
all the measurements shown in A-C and, in addition, an outline of the entire
buccal mass (excluding the pharyngeal tissue), the line of the jaws and the
line of the lateral groove (the dorsal and ventral border between the
I1/I3/jaw musculature and the posterior I2 muscle).
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Fig. 5. A sequence (frames 1-22) showing swallowing of a polyethylene tube and its
associated kinematic measures. Frames are acquired in 155 ms and are separated
by 310 ms. The top row shows the high-temporal-resolution data; the middle row
shows these images with the kinematic measures (described in
Fig. 4) superimposed and the
bottom row shows the kinematic measures alone. This corresponds to swallow 4,
data for which are shown in part D of Figs
7,8,9,10,11,12,13.
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Fig. 6. Anatomy of the prow of the odontophore. (A) External anatomy, anterior
view. (B) External anatomy, lateral view. (C) External anatomy, dorsal view.
The prow shown in these views was approximately 4 mm in medio-lateral length,
8 mm in dorso-ventral length and 4 mm in antero-posterior length. (D) Internal
muscle fibers of the prow. The view is posterior, looking at the inside of the
antero-medial surface of the prow.
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Fig. 7. Kinematics of the I2 muscle during swallowing. Data in A-D are plotted as
length (mm) as a function of time (ms). (A) I2 kinematics in the first
swallow. The first sequence from the images in set 7725 starts with image 27
and ends with image 44. The onset of the t4 period is frame 27, the
onset of the t1 period is frame 32 and the onset of the t2
period is frame 41; each of these period onsets is indicated using a vertical
line. For definitions of periods t1, t2 and t4, see
Materials and methods. (B) I2 kinematics in the second swallow. The second
sequence from the images in set 7725 starts with image 45 and ends with image
67. The onset of the t4 period is frame 45, the onset of the
t1 period is frame 53 and the onset of the t2 period is
frame 63. (C) I2 kinematics in the third swallow. The first sequence from the
images in set 7732 starts with image 16 and ends with image 39. The onset of
the t4 period is frame 16, the onset of the t1 period is
frame 26 and the onset of the t2 period is frame 35. (D) I2
kinematics in the fourth swallow, whose individual images are shown in
Fig. 5. The second sequence
from the images in set 7732 starts with image 39 and ends with image 60. The
onset of the t4 period is frame 39, the onset of the t1
period is frame 47 and the onset of the t2 period is frame 56. (E)
Normalized, averaged and smoothed I2 kinematics during swallowing cycle. Data
are shown as the mean ± 1 S.D. (F) Normalized and averaged data from a
transilluminated slug (replotted from
Drushel et al., 1998 ) (the
cycle starts at t4, and cycle length is renormalized to be the sum of
the t4, t1 and t2 periods, excluding the
t3 period). (G) Schematic diagrams indicating the length of I2
plotted in D for frames 1, 9, 18 and 22. I2 is highlighted with a black line.
Compare original frames in Fig.
5.
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Fig. 8. Kinematics of the antero-posterior length of the I3 muscle during
swallowing. (A-D) Data plotted as length (mm) as a function of time (ms). Left
panels show the antero-posterior length of the I3 muscle on the dorsal
surface. Right panels show the antero-posterior length of the I3 muscle on the
ventral surface. (A) I3 kinematics in the first swallow. (B) I3 kinematics in
the second swallow. (C) I3 kinematics in the third swallow. (D) I3 kinematics
in the fourth swallow. (E) Normalized, averaged and smoothed anterio-posterior
lengths of I3 during the swallowing cycle. Data are shown as mean ± 1
S.D. (F) Schematic diagrams indicating the antero-posterior length of I3 on
the dorsal surface for frames 1, 9, 17, 18 and 22, highlighted with a black
line. The antero-posterior lengths of I3 on the ventral surface for frames 1,
9, 18 and 22 are shown on the right, highlighted with a black line. Compare
original frames in Fig. 5. For
definitions of periods t1, t2 and t4, see Materials and
methods.
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Fig. 9. Kinematics of the dorso-ventral length of the I3 muscle during swallowing.
(A-D) Data from each of the four individual swallowing sequences plotted as
length (mm) as a function of time (ms). The left panels show the dorso-ventral
length of the I3 muscle at the lateral groove. The right panels show the
dorso-ventral length of the I3 muscle at the line of the jaws. (E) Normalized,
averaged and smoothed dorso-ventral lengths of I3 during the swallowing cycle.
Data are shown as mean ± 1 S.D. (F) Schematic diagrams indicating the
dorso-ventral length of I3 at the lateral groove for frames 1, 9, 18 and 22,
highlighted with a black line. The dorso-ventral lengths of I3 at the jaws for
frames 1, 9, 18 and 22 are shown on the right, highlighted with a black line.
Compare original frames in Fig.
5. For definitions of periods t1, t2 and t4, see
Materials and methods.
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Fig. 10. Overall movement of the buccal mass based on the changing angle of the jaw
line relative to the fixed tank holding the animal. (A-D) Data from each of
the four individual swallow sequences plotted as angle (degrees) as a function
of time (ms). (E) Normalized, averaged and smoothed jaw line angle during the
swallowing cycle. Data are shown as mean ± 1 S.D. Note that all four
swallows show different patterns of change in the angle of the jaws. (F) A
black line is used to highlight the jaw angle for frames 1, 9, 18 and 22.
Compare original frames in Fig.
5. For definitions of periods t1, t2 and t4, see
Materials and methods.
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Fig. 11. Movements of the odontophore relative to the buccal mass. The left panels
show rotation of the anterior border of I6 relative to the jaw line. The right
panels show translation of the anterior tip of the odontophore relative to the
jaw line, with the jaw line rotated to be vertical. (A-D) The rotation (left
panels, angle as a function of time) and translation [right panels, distance,
in units of internal radular stalk width (RSW units) as a function of time]
during each of the four individual swallowing sequences. (E) Normalized,
averaged and smoothed rotations (left) and translations (right). Data are
shown as the mean ± 1 S.D. (F) Schematic diagrams indicating the
rotation of the odontophore for frames 1, 9, 18 and 22. The anterior margin of
the odontophore is highlighted with a black line, and the jaw line (relative
to which the angle is measured) is highlighted with a gray line. The
translation of the odontophore for frames 1, 9, 18 and 22 is shown on the
right. A gray line highlights the jaws, and a black line indicates the
distance from the anteriormost point of the odontophore to the jaw line.
Compare original frames in Fig.
5. For definitions of periods t1, t2 and t4, see
Materials and methods.
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Fig. 12. Deformations of the odontophore during swallowing. To provide an internal
reference frame for the odontophore, all measurements were made after the
anterior border of I6 had been rotated so that it was vertical. All lengths in
AD are mm plotted as a function of time (ms). The left panels show the
changes in the antero-posterior length; the right panels show the changes in
the dorso-ventral length. (AD) Data from each of the four individual
swallowing sequences; (E) these data normalized, averaged and smoothed
± 1 S.D. (F) Schematic diagrams indicating the antero-posterior
odontophore length for frames 1, 9, 18 and 22. The anterior margin of the
odontophore is highlighted with a gray line, and a parallel line drawn at the
maximum antero-posterior length is highlighted with a black line. The
dorso-ventral lengths of the odontophore for frames 1, 9, 18 and 22 are shown
on the right. A gray line highlights the anterior margin of the odontophore,
and a black line indicates the maximum length in the dorso-ventral direction
perpendicular to this reference line. Compare original frames in
Fig. 5. For definitions of
periods t1, t2 and t4, see Materials and methods.
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Fig. 13. Movements internal to the odontophore during swallowing. Measurements were
made of the rotation of the radular stalk relative to the anterior border of
muscle I6 (left panels) and the translation of the base of the radular stalk
as a percentage of the dorso-ventral height of the odontophore (right panels).
(AD) Data from individual swallowing sequences. (E) These data
normalized, averaged and smoothed ± 1 S.D. Angle (degrees) is plotted
as a function of time (ms) in the left panels. Percentage of the odontophore
height is plotted as a function of time (ms) in the right panels. (F)
Schematic diagrams indicating the rotation of the radular stalk within the
odontophore for frames 1, 9, 18 and 22. The anterior margin of the odontophore
is highlighted with a gray line, and the line of the radular stalk is
highlighted with a black line; the angle is measured relative to the gray
line. The translation of the radular stalk for frames 1, 9, 18 and 22 is shown
on the right. A gray line highlights the anterior margin of the odontophore,
and a black line parallel to this line indicates the distance from the base of
the radula to the base of the odontophore. Compare original frames in
Fig. 5. For definitions of
periods t1, t2 and t4, see Materials and methods.
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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2002