Barry Sessle

Research Synopsis

Keywords : Neuron / Glia/ Brain/ Orofacial Pain / Motor Control/ Electrophysiology/ Cortical plasticity/ EMG/ Sensory systems/ Sleep

Detailed Description:
Electrophysiological and related neuroanatomical techniques are used to clarify:

1. neural and non-neural mechanisms underlying the initiation and control of pain, in particular oral-facial pain; and

2. reflex and higher centre control mechanisms of oral-facial sensorimotor functions such as chewing and swallowing.

METHODS USED

Cell and Tissue Cultures: Brain Slice, Neurons

Procedures: Behavioural tests, electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, in vitro electrophysiology, in vivo electrophysiology,

EQUIPMENT USED

Amplifier, digital microscope, dissecting microscope, electrophysiology rig, motorized micromanipulator, stimulator, vibratome, water baths.

PRESENT TRAINEES

PRESENT COLLABORATIONS

Within the Department of Physiology:

Jonathan Dostrovsky
John Peever
Mike Salter

Outside the Department of Physiology:

Karen Davis (Toronto Western Hospital, Canada)
Greg Murray (Dentistry, U. Sydney, Australia)
Koichi Iwata (Oral Physiology, Nihon, U. Japan)
Atsushi Yoshida (Oral Anatomy, Osaka U. Japan)
Lars Arendt-Nielsen (SensoryMotorInteraction, Aalborg U, Denmark)
Peter Svensson (Dentistry, Aarhus U, Denmark)
Callum Ross (Anatomy, U. Chicago, USA)

Gilles Lavigne (Dentistry, U. Montreal, Canada)

Adriana Rolim Campos (Experimental Biology, U. Fortaleza, Brazil)

Dongyuan Yao (Neurology, Nanchang U, China)

Ye Cao (Stomatology, Peking U, China)

Recent Publications

Avivi-Arber L., Lee J.-C., Sood M., Lakschevitz F., Fung M., Barashi-gozal M., Glogauer M., and Sessle B.J. Long-term neuroplasticity of the face primary motor cortex and adjacent somatosensory cortex induced by tooth loss can be reversed following dental implant replacement. J. Comp Neurol., 523:2372-2389, 2015.

Nakaya Y., Tsuboi Y., Okada-Ogawa A., Shinoda M., Kondo M., Katagiri A., Kubo A., Noma N., Imamura Y., Sessle B.J. and Iwata K. ERK-GluR1 phosphorylation in trigeminal spinal subnucleus caudalis neurons is involved in dry-tongue pain. Mol. Pain. P15:1744806916641680, 2016

Arce-McShane F.I., Sessle B.J., Ross C.F.1 and Hatsopoulos, N.G. Primary sensorimotor cortex exhibits complex dependencies of spike-field coherence on neuronal firing rates, field power, and behavior. J. Neurophysiol, 120:226-238, 2018.

Yao, D. and Sessle, B.J. Neuroplastic changes occur in face sensorimotor cortex in a rat model of trigeminal neuropathic pain. Exp Brain Res, 236: 1357-1368, 2018.

Filippini, H.F., Molska, G.R., Avivi-Arber, L, Arudchelvan, Y., Gong, S-G., Campos, M.M., Sessle, B.J. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) involvement in nociceptive processes in rat medullary dorsal horn in dental nflammatory pain model. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2020 Jun 23;14:643. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00643.

Reviews:

Chichorro, J., Porreca, F.and Sessle, B.J. Mechanisms of craniofacial pain. Cephalalgia 37: 613-626, 2017.

L. and Sessle, B. J. Jaw motor function and neural control in old age: A review. J. Oral Rehab. 45: 50-80, 2018.

Iwata, K. I. and Sessle, B. J. The Evolution of Neuroscience as a research field relevant to Dentistry. J. Dent. Res.98:1407-1417, 2019.

Book.

B. J. Sessle (Ed). OROFACIAL PAIN: RECENT ADVANCES IN ASSESSMENT, MANAGEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING OF MECHANISMS, IASP Press, Washington, DC, 509 pp, 2014

Awards

ISI Citation Classic, for R. Dubner, B.J. Sessle, and A.T. Storey “THE NEURAL BASIS OF ORAL AND FACIAL FUNCTION”, Plenum Press, New York, 1978, 483 pp.

Distinguished Career Award, Canadian Pain Society,1999.

CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis Quality of Life Research Award, 2005.

Canada Research Chair (Tier 1), Government of Canada; 2001-2014.

Honorary Member, International Association for the Study of Pain, 2005.

Honorary Member, American Academy of Orofacial Pain, 2007.

Outstanding Mentorship Award, Canadian Pain Society, 2013.

Award of Distinction, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, 2013.

Honorary Life Membership, Canadian Pain Society, 2016.

Distinguished Service Award, The American Academy of Orofacial Pain, 2019.

UNIFOR Global Fellow, University of Fortaleza Foundation (Brazil), 2019-2021.

Gold Medal, International Association for Dental Research, 2020.

Appointments