Active mastication or chewing is primarily involved in food intake and digestion, but it also promotes and preserves general health. Epidemiologic studies indicate that aged individuals with tooth loss are more likely to develop cognitive dysfunction. In fact, tooth loss is an epidemiologic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Tooth loss and occlusal disharmony produce chronic stress, which in turn induces pathologic changes in the hippocampus and learning and memory deficits. Evidence suggests that chewing effectively facilitates information transmission in the brain. Chewing activates brain function, including the hippocampal and prefrontal cortical structures, which are essential for cognitive processing. Chewing gum before a meal can decrease food intake and help prevent obesity via neural pathways. Chewing during stress condition ameliorates stress-induced impairments such as anxiety-like behavior, learning deficits, and gastric ulcer.

We invite authors to submit original research and review articles that seek to explore the relationship between chewing, stress-related disorders, and brain function.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Chewing and cognitive function
• Chewing and obesity
• Chewing and stress-related diseases
• Epidemiologic study on mastication and brain function
• Motor circuitry of chewing