Oromotor functional networks in the marmoset monkey.
- 1Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, Robarts Research Institute, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
- 2Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
- 3Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
Abstract
Primate communication relies on the precise coordination of the orofacial complex. While New World monkeys are growing models for vocal communication research, the neural basis underlying their oromotor control remains underexplored. Here, we used ultra-high-field fMRI in awake common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to map the whole-brain neural networks engaged during spontaneous visible oromotor functions-including jaw and lip movements, tongue protrusion, swallowing, and vocalization-distinct from those recruited during the auditory processing of conspecific calls. The resulting oromotor maps reveal a widespread control substrate extending beyond primary sensorimotor cortices, encompassing dorsal prefrontal (areas 8aD, 8b), mid-cingulate, posterior parietal areas (PF, PFG, and PE), and auditory regions. The parietal engagement points to a role for sensorimotor integration in marmoset oromotor control. Subcortically, this network engages the thalamus, basal ganglia, and cerebellum, with additional activation in the medullary reticular formation and periaqueductal gray, brainstem regions implicated in rhythmic oromotor control. A predominantly dorsal pattern of activation, with limited ventral premotor engagement, defines this network and provides a foundational framework for future studies of vocal-motor control in this species and a comparative reference for the rhythmic oromotor substrates from which speech is hypothesized to have evolved.
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BibTeX
@article{jafari2026oromotor,
title = {{Oromotor functional networks in the marmoset monkey.}},
author = {Azadeh Jafari and Audrey Dureux and Alessandro Zanini and Amr F K Eed and Michael R Corigliano and Meng-Kuan Lin and David J Schaeffer and Ravi S Menon and Stefan Everling},
journal = {Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1162/imag.a.1419},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42947993},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Oromotor functional networks in the marmoset monkey.
AU - Azadeh Jafari
AU - Audrey Dureux
AU - Alessandro Zanini
AU - Amr F K Eed
AU - Michael R Corigliano
AU - Meng-Kuan Lin
AU - David J Schaeffer
AU - Ravi S Menon
AU - Stefan Everling
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)
DO - 10.1162/imag.a.1419
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42947993
AB - Primate communication relies on the precise coordination of the orofacial complex. While New World monkeys are growing models for vocal communication research, the neural basis underlying their oromotor control remains underexplored. Here, we used ultra-high-field fMRI in awake common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) to map the whole-brain neural networks engaged during spontaneous visible oromotor functions-including jaw and lip movements, tongue protrusion, swallowing, and vocalization-distinct from those recruited during the auditory processing of conspecific calls. The resulting oromotor maps reveal a widespread control substrate extending beyond primary sensorimotor cortices, encompassing dorsal prefrontal (areas 8aD, 8b), mid-cingulate, posterior parietal areas (PF, PFG, and PE), and auditory regions. The parietal engagement points to a role for sensorimotor integration in marmoset oromotor control. Subcortically, this network engages the thalamus, basal ganglia, and cerebellum, with additional activation in the medullary reticular formation and periaqueductal gray, brainstem regions implicated in rhythmic oromotor control. A predominantly dorsal pattern of activation, with limited ventral premotor engagement, defines this network and provides a foundational framework for future studies of vocal-motor control in this species and a comparative reference for the rhythmic oromotor substrates from which speech is hypothesized to have evolved.
SN - 2837-6056
ER -