Pictures of disgusting foods and disgusted facial expressions suppress the tongue motor cortex

The tongue holds a unique role in gustatory disgust. However, it is unclear whether the tongue representation in the motor cortex (tM1) is affected by the sight of distaste-related stimuli. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in healthy humans, we recorded tongue motor-evoked potentials (M...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social cognitive and affective neuroscience 2017-02, Vol.12 (2), p.352-362
Main Authors: Vicario, Carmelo M, Rafal, Robert D, Borgomaneri, Sara, Paracampo, Riccardo, Kritikos, Ada, Avenanti, Alessio
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Avoidance Learning - physiology
Electromyography
Emotions - physiology
Evoked Potentials, Motor - physiology
Facial Expression
Female
Food Preferences - physiology
Humans
Male
Motor Cortex - physiology
Neural Inhibition - physiology
Original
Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology
Taste - physiology
Tongue - innervation
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
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Summary:The tongue holds a unique role in gustatory disgust. However, it is unclear whether the tongue representation in the motor cortex (tM1) is affected by the sight of distaste-related stimuli. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in healthy humans, we recorded tongue motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) as an index of tM1 cortico-hypoglossal excitability. MEPs were recorded while participants viewed pictures associated with gustatory disgust and revulsion (i.e. rotten foods and faces expressing distaste), non-oral-related disgusting stimuli (i.e. invertebrates like worms) and control stimuli. We found that oral-related disgust pictures suppressed tM1 cortico-hypoglossal output. This tM1 suppression was predicted by interindividual differences in disgust sensitivity. No similar suppression was found for disgusting invertebrates or when MEPs were recorded from a control muscle. These findings suggest that revulsion-eliciting food pictures trigger anticipatory inhibition mechanisms, possibly preventing toxin swallowing and contamination. A similar suppression is elicited when viewing distaste expressions, suggesting vicarious motor inhibition during social perception of disgust. Our study suggests an avoidant-defensive mechanism in human cortico-hypoglossal circuits and its 'resonant' activation in the vicarious experience of others' distaste. These findings support a role for the motor system in emotion-driven motor anticipation and social cognition.
ISSN:1749-5016
1749-5024
DOI:10.1093/scan/nsw129