Effects of Three Lingual Conditions on Submental Muscle Activity in Healthy Young and Old Adults
Because swallowing is a complex neurological event, swallowing disorders (dysphagia) occurs after damage to the oral, pharyngeal, and/or esophageal musculature or the underlying neural pathways, and affects approximately 20% of Americans 50 years or older. An effective swallow (transfer of food or liquid from the mouth to the stomach) involves three stages: oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal. This study focuses on muscles that contribute to both the oral and pharyngeal stages of swallowing: submental and lingual muscles.The purpose of this study was to examine submental muscle activation using surface electromyography (sEMG), and lingual strength using lingual pressure during three intraoral lingual conditions in 25 young (18 to 40 years) and 24 older (60 years and above) healthy participants. The experimental lingual conditions in this study were chosen because they reflect lingual movements that are or can be routinely adopted during lingual exercise programs in dysphagia treatment. The three lingual conditions in this study are intraoral lingual elevation to the hard palate, lingual protrusion, and lingual depression. This study also examined the effects of age and gender on submental muscle activity and lingual pressure.This study found that there was no difference in mean submental muscle activation, as measured by sEMG, between young and older healthy adults during the intraoral maximum isometric pressure (MIP) lingual conditions. However, the mean maximum submental muscle activity was higher in women than in men. During the MIP lingual conditions, mean peak lingual pressure was greater in young healthy adults, but no difference was observed between men and women. The MIP lingual condition involving lingual protrusion resulted in the greatest activation of submental muscles, whereas the lingual depression condition resulted in the generation of the highest peak lingual pressure. The outcomes of this study lay the foundation for further research not only in normative populations, but also in individuals with dysphagia.
Speech Therapy, Maximum isometric pressure lingual conditions, Lingual Pressures and lingual strength, Submental surface electromyography, submental muscle activation
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