Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technique can be used as a modality to represent the structural deformation in the in vivo genioglossus (GG) muscle fibers with oral appliances (OAs).
Study design: Three healthy subjects were recruited for the pilot study. A custom-made OA, which is modified from a tongue retaining device (TRD), was constructed for each subject before the DTI acquisitions. Recordings were made with and without OAs to compare the GG muscle fiber deformation.
Result: DTI provided good resolution of tongue muscle fibers in vivo and successful isolation of each muscle fiber bundle. In particular, the GG muscle fiber deformation due to OAs was clearly visualized.
Conclusions: This DTI technique may be used not only to identify the individual myoarchitecture, but also to assess muscle fiber deformations in vivo, such as constriction, dilatation, and rotation with OAs. Clinical studies for OSA patients will be the next step.