Improving Adherence to Myofunctional Therapy in the Treatment of Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Myofunctional therapy (MT) is used to treat sleep-disordered breathing. However, MT has low adherence—only ~10% in most studies. We describe our experiences with MT delivered through a mobile health app named Airway Gym®, which is used by patients who have rejected continuous positive airway pressure and other therapies. We compared ear, nose, and throat examination findings, Friedman stage, tongue-tie presence, tongue strength measured using the Iowa oral performance instrument (IOPI), and full polysomnography before and after the 3 months of therapy. Participants were taught how to perform the exercises using the app at the start. Telemedicine allowed physicians to record adherence to and accuracy of the exercise performance. Fifty-four patients were enrolled; 35 (64.8%) were adherent and performed exercises for 15 min/day on five days/week. We found significant changes (p < 0.05) in the apnoea–hypopnoea index (AHI; 32.97 ± 1.8 to 21.9 ± 14.5 events/h); IOPI score (44.4 ± 11.08 to 49.66 ± 10.2); and minimum O2 saturation (80.91% ± 6.1% to 85.09% ± 5.3%). IOPI scores correlated significantly with AHI after the therapy (Pearson r = 0.4; p = 0.01). The 19 patients who did not adhere to the protocol showed no changes. MT based on telemedicine had good adherence, and its effect on AHI correlated with IOPI and improvement in tongue-tie.

Relationship Between Tongue Strength and Dysphagia Symptoms in Japanese Older Adults in Need of Care

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the tongue pressure of older adults who require nursing care and to clarify the relationship between dysphagia symptoms and tongue strength. Methods: The participants were Japanese older adults (age: ≥ 65 years) in need of care who were able to communicate with others and agreed to participate in the study. Tongue pressure was measured using TPM-01, a tongue pressure measuring instrument. The Dysphagia Risk Assessment for Community-Dwelling Elderly was used to assess dysphagia. The association between tongue pressure and 12 dysphagia symptoms was analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance. Results: The average tongue pressure was 23.22 ± 9.9 kPa. Tongue pressure was significantly associated with occasional food spillage from the mouth and sputum formation in the throat during meals or after eating or drinking (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Decreased tongue strength should be suspected in older adults with food spillage from the mouth or sputum formation in the throat during meals.

Tongue strength as a clinical feature of oral health in neurological patients: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Current oral health assessment has a compre-hensive view of the relationship between hard and soft tissues of the mouth as seen by orthodontics and prosthodontics in a healthy population. Despite knowing the influence this relationship has on functional outcomes such as swallowing and mastication, motor evaluation of soft tissue such as the tongue is still scarce. This lack of knowledge is even greater in individuals with a neurological condition. In this sense, the measurement of lingual strength has been addressed by some research as a key element accompanying oral rehabilitation in healthy populations. Acknowledging the importance of tongue strength in oral biomechanics, the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) has become a gold standard instrument. The purpose of this article was to search for scientific studies on tongue strength using the IOPI as a research tool in populations with neurological conditions, to know about its inclusion in the clinical practice and comprehensive oral health rehabilitation in this population. Material and Methods: A systematic search in five major databases was carried out based on the PRISMA Protocol. Searches were conducted in the PubMed, Medline, Lilacs, Web of Science and MedCarib databases including articles from 2007 to 2020. To generate the search in each database, three main constructs were developed: (1) "tongue strength IOPI"; (2) "Swallowing Disorders"; (3) "Neurological Diseases". Results: 152 studies were identified, 14 were included in the final review. The PEDro scale showed great heterogeneity in the level of evidence between the studies with only 5 RCTs and only two of them on lingual strength training. Conclusion: The IOPI was used mainly to measure tongue strength and only 36% as a clinical training device, which could contribute to improving oral health. The stroke was the most represented (79%).IIIISU.

Effects of a Multifaceted Intervention Program on the Eating Ability of Nursing Home Residents

Oropharyngeal dysphagia is a common problem for nursing home residents that leads to aspiration pneumonia and malnutrition. Musculature surrounding head and neck and tongue strength are crucial for safe and efficient oropharyngeal swallowing. Oral hygiene facilitates the smooth swallowing. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the effects of a multifaceted intervention program which combines the interactive oral activities, tongue strength training and oral cleaning procedure on the eating ability of nursing home residents. A sequential, multiple time series, single-group quasi-experimental research design was used, and 41 residents were recruited to participate in this study. The study was divided into three phases, each lasting two months. In phase 1, the participants were conducting their usual activities, except that the outcome variables were measured on five occasions to obtain baseline data. Phase 2 was a two-month washout period, and phase 3 was the intervention period. Thirty-six residents completed phase 1, and 34 residents completed the phase 3 intervention period. The eight-week phase 3 intervention program comprised three sessions per day, conducted seven days a week, with each session lasting 15–20 min. Outcome variables were measured at weeks 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 in phases 1 and 3 to evaluate the feasibility of the program. Following the intervention program, controlling for baseline differences, the patients’ tongue strength, food consumption, mealtime duration, oral health, and dysphagia severity were significantly improved in phase 3 relative to phase 1. These improvements lasted through to at least 2 months posttest. The study illustrates that this multifaceted intervention program may be an effective approach for improving the eating ability of nursing home residents.

Tongue and Lip Comparisons between Healthy and Nondysphagic Poststroke Individuals

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The lips and tongue play a substantial role in efficient clearance of food from the mouth and pharynx into the esophagus. No study has compared oral pressures between healthy individuals and poststoke individuals who report functional swallow abilities. <b><i>Aim:</i></b> The current study aimed to investigate the presence of differences in oral pressures between healthy individuals and poststroke individuals who report functional swallowing abilities. <b><i>Design:</i></b> This is a controlled matched pair study. <b><i>Population:</i></b> Eighteen control participants (CG) and 18 nondysphagic poststroke participants (NDSG) were enrolled into this study. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) was used to measure and compare tongue strength, endurance, and functional lingual and labial pressures between sex and age-matched pairs. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Six paired, two-tailed <i>t</i> tests revealed that tongue and lip pressures were different between the 2 groups. Maximum anterior tongue pressures and posterior tongue pressures were also different, i.e., <i>t</i>(17) = –2.89 (<i>p</i> = 0.010) and <i>t</i>(17) = –2.85 (<i>p</i> = 0.011), with the CG presenting higher pressures. Right lip pressures were significantly lower in the NDSG compared to the CG, i.e., <i>t</i>(17) = 2.45 (<i>p</i> = 0.0001). Left lip pressures were significantly lower in the NDSG compared to the CG, i.e., <i>t</i>(17) = –5.43 (<i>p</i> = 0.0001). Tongue endurance, i.e., <i>t</i>(17) = 0.092 (<i>p</i> = 0.928) and saliva swallow pressures, i.e., <i>t</i>(17) = –0.490 (<i>p</i> = 0.63) were not different. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Although poststroke participants reported functional swallowing abilities, there were differences in tongue and lip pressures but not in endurance or saliva swallow pressures. <b><i>Clinical Rehabilitation Impact:</i></b> Poststroke individuals without complaints of dysphagia who are not assessed may experience subclinical dysphagia that could negatively impact their nutrition and quality of life.

Assessment of Tongue Strength in Sarcopenia and Sarcopenic Dysphagia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Sarcopenic dysphagia is defined as difficulty in swallowing due to sarcopenia, which may be related to weakness of the tongue muscles. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the association between tongue strength and sarcopenia and to determine whether tongue strength measurement could be a specific indicator of sarcopenic dysphagia. We conducted a systematic search of electronic databases from their inception to February 2021 for clinical studies that investigated tongue strength in participants with and without sarcopenia. The primary outcome was the weighted mean difference (WMD) and standardized mean difference (SMD) of tongue pressure between the different groups. The secondary outcome was the correlation of tongue pressure with the subcomponents that defined sarcopenia. Ten studies that involved 1,513 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with those without sarcopenia, patients with sarcopenia had significantly less tongue pressure, with a WMD of −4.353 kPa (95% CI, −7.257 to −1.450) and an SMD of −0.581 (95% CI, −0.715 to −0.446). There was no significant difference in tongue pressure between patients with sarcopenic dysphagia and those with non-sarcopenic dysphagia, with a WMD of −1.262 kPa (95% CI, −8.442 to 5.918) and an SMD of −0.187 (95% CI, −1.059 to 0.686). Significant positive associations were identified between tongue pressure and grip strength and between tongue pressure and gait speed, with correlation coefficients of 0.396 (95% CI, 0.191 to 0.567) and 0.269 (95% CI, 0.015 to 0.490), respectively. Reduced tongue strength is associated with sarcopenia but is not an exclusive marker for sarcopenic dysphagia. Tongue strength correlates with the values of subcomponents that define sarcopenia. In patients with low performance of sarcopenia subcomponent, tongue pressure must be examined to diagnose subclinical dysphagia.Protocol registration: This meta-analysis was registered on INPLASY (registration number INPLASY202120060).

Tongue strength and swallowing dynamics in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BackgroundSwallowing disorders occur in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but little is known about tongue strength and mastication. This is the first assessment in COPD of tongue strength and a test of mastication and swallowing solids (TOMASS).MethodsAnterior tongue strength measures were obtained in 18 people with COPD, aged 73±11 years (mean±sd), and 19 healthy age-matched controls, aged 72±6 years. Swallowing dynamics were assessed using an eating assessment tool (EAT-10), timed water swallow test (TWST), and TOMASS. Swallowing measures were compared to an inhibitory reflex in the inspiratory muscles to airway occlusion (IR; recorded previously in the same participants).ResultsTongue strength was similar between COPD and controls (p=0.715). Self-assessed scores of dysphagia EAT-10 were higher (p=0.024) and swallowing times were prolonged for liquids (p=0.022) and solids (p=0.003) in the COPD group. During TWST, ∼30% of COPD group showed clinical signs of airway invasion (cough and wet voice), but none in the control group. For solids, the COPD group had ∼40% greater number of chews (p=0.004), and two-fold-higher number of swallows (p=0.0496). Respiratory rate was 50% higher in COPD group than controls (p <0.001). The presence of an IR was not related to better swallowing outcomes, but signs of airway invasion were associated with a delayed IR.ConclusionDysphagia in stable COPD is not due to impaired anterior tongue strength, but rather swallowing-breathing discoordination. To address dysphagia, aspiration, and acute exacerbations in COPD, therapeutic targets to improve swallowing dynamics could be investigated further.