Skip navigation
  • Home
  • Browse
    • Communities
      & Collections
    • Browse Items by:
    • Publication Date
    • Author
    • Title
    • Subject
    • Department
  • Sign on to:
    • My MacSphere
    • Receive email
      updates
    • Edit Profile


McMaster University Home Page
  1. MacSphere
  2. Departments and Schools
  3. Faculty of Health Sciences
  4. Rehabilitation Science
  5. Rehabilitation Science Publications
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/11375/27092
Title: Effects of Tongue Strength Training on Mealtime Function in Long-Term Care
Authors: Namasivayam-MacDonald AM
Burnett L
Nagy A
Waito AA
Steele CM
Department: Rehabilitation Science
Keywords: Age Factors;Aged, 80 and over;Aging;Biofeedback, Psychology;Biomechanical Phenomena;Cognition;Cognitive Dysfunction;Eating;Feasibility Studies;Female;Geriatric Assessment;Homes for the Aged;Humans;Isometric Contraction;Long-Term Care;Male;Meals;Muscle Strength;Nursing Homes;Ontario;Pressure;Proof of Concept Study;Recovery of Function;Resistance Training;Severity of Illness Index;Time Factors;Tongue;Treatment Outcome
Publication Date: 8-Nov-2017
Publisher: American Speech Language Hearing Association
Abstract: <jats:sec> <jats:title>Purpose</jats:title> <jats:p>The primary aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of an 8-week tongue-strengthening intervention protocol for seniors with mild to moderately severe cognitive impairment in the long-term care setting. Outcome measures of interest included tongue strength, mealtime duration, and food intake.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Method</jats:title> <jats:p>In this pre–post group study of treatment outcomes, data were collected from 7 adults (aged 84–99 years). Participants were observed across a series of mealtimes to determine mealtime duration and intake before and after 16 treatment sessions. During therapy, participants performed isometric strength exercises and tongue pressure accuracy tasks using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (model number 2.1, IOPI Medical). Differences in tongue strength as a function of treatment were explored between the first 3 and final 3 sessions using univariate repeated-measures analysis of variance. Single-subject methods were used to explore baseline and posttreatment data for measures of mealtime function.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>Anterior and posterior tongue strength increased significantly with therapy. There were no changes in mealtime function.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> <jats:p>This study shows proof of concept that some older adults with cognitive impairment are able to participate in a tongue-strengthening intervention and achieve improvements in tongue strength. Failure to find evidence of associated changes of mealtime function suggests that mealtime measures may not be directly sensitive to changes in tongue strength.</jats:p> </jats:sec>
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11375/27092
metadata.dc.identifier.doi: https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_ajslp-16-0186
ISSN: 1058-0360
1558-9110
Appears in Collections:Rehabilitation Science Publications

Files in This Item:
File Description SizeFormat 
Namasivayam-MacDonald 2017 Effects of Tongue Strength Training on Mealtime Function in LTC AJSLP-16-0186.pdf
Open Access
Published version795.45 kBAdobe PDFView/Open
Show full item record Statistics


Items in MacSphere are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship     McMaster University Libraries
©2022 McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8 | 905-525-9140 | Contact Us | Terms of Use & Privacy Policy | Feedback

Report Accessibility Issue