Projects on orofacial neuroscience including trigeminal pain, manducation and taste is led by Yves Boucher (PUPH-DDS) and Nathan Moreau (MCUPH-HDR DDS). The group, mainly formed by members of the LabNOF team, has developed unique translational and clinical expertise in Orofacial Neuroscience. The group has characterised preclinical models in the field of pain, both acute and chronic (inflammation of the dental pulp, trigeminal neuropathies). Researchers explore the trigemino-gustatory interactions to understand the clinically observed interactions between trigeminal function and alterations of taste. The research of this group is based on cohorts of patients from specific hospital consultations (GHPS and Bretonneau) and clinical studies (PHRC OPIODYN, ALIMAPAC, NERVIMPLANT and observational (URGDENT, URGDENT-COVID) aimed atevaluating and proposing new treatments (PHRC TRIGTOX, BLUEPAIN and EXCELANGUE projects).

The main objectives here are 1) To develop specific animal models of trigeminal pathologies with a dysesthetic component which are currently lacking for the search for new treatments, such as stomatodynia or trigeminal neuropathies, as observed in tertiary orofocial pain clinics. An important aspect of these models will be the inclusion of stress and gender issues, which are specific risk factors for the appearance of certain orofacial pain conditions. The links between headaches and orofacial pain that involve the same branches of the trigeminal nerve are already being explored in collaboration with the Vision Institute in Paris; 2) To create an oral/facial health clinical investigation centre allowing the evaluation of sensitive, sensory, motor and autonomic functions involved in masticatory function and affecting orofacial health, by integrating general parameters and other related functions (sleep, digestion, etc.), backed by biobanking and models integrating the main oral functions (mastication, phonation, swallowing); 3) To develop new imaging modalities of oral sensory-motor disorders, for evaluative and therapeutic purposes by implementing promising techniques such as in vivo confocal microscopy and high-frequency ultrasound imaging. The recent development of such aforementioned techniques in the field of ophthalmology or dermatology opens up a promising field of research for orofacial neuroscience.