Cortical adaptation following partial glossectomy with primary closure: implications for reconstruction of the oral tongue.

OBJECTIVES: The considerable variability in functional outcomes for speech and swallowing with different reconstruction techniques following partial glossectomy may reflect the ability of patients to adapt to altered tongue structure. The purpose of this study was to determine mechanisms of cortical adaptation in swallowing to partial glossectomy reconstructed with primary closure.
METHODS: Four patients treated with partial glossectomy and primary closure underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging at a mean of 6 months after operation, and the data were compared to those from 8 healthy controls.
RESULTS: Statistically significant increases in activity occurred predominately in the parietal cortices and the cerebellum. The volume of the resection was most highly correlated with activity in the premotor and parietal cortices and cerebellum.
CONCLUSIONS: The adaptive changes in the cortex following partial glossectomy with primary closure reflect adaptation to the biomechanics of tongue movement during swallowing, and not altered sensation in the tongue.