Hypoglossal motoneurons: a model to investigate physiological and pathophysiological properties of brainstem motoneurons

Hypoglossal motoneurons (HMs) are brainstem neurons that command rhytmic contraction of the tongue muscles during breathing as well as a variety of non-respiratory functions such as sleep, vocalization, suckling and swallowing. Neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; Lou-Gehrig disease) often damage HMs with distressing symptoms like dysarthria, dysphagia and breathing failure...