Age and Sex-Related Differences in the Tongue Pressure Generated during Maximum Isometric and Swallowing Tasks by Healthy Chinese Adults

Abstract

The aims of this prospective observational study were to investigate age, sex, and factors related to the tongue pressure generated. A correlational research design was used. A total of 150 Chinese people who had a normal swallowing condition were enrolled by convenience sampling. Pressure was measured for each participant during maximum isometric press tasks, as well as for saliva and water swallows (5 mL) at the anterior and posterior tongue. The results illustrated that age has an impact on anterior tongue pressure (r = −0.22), posterior tongue pressure (r = −0.26); however, it does not have an impact on the swallowing pressure (SP) of the tongue. Sex differences were noted; males demonstrated a greater strength of the anterior tongue. There was a significant correlation between BMI and the maximum isometric pressure of the anterior tongue (MIPant). The pressures between anterior and posterior tongue were not significantly different in the maximum isometric or swallowing tasks. There were significant differences among the maximum isometric pressure (MIP), saliva swallowing pressure, and water swallowing pressure. The MIP generated was greater than the pressure in the swallowing tasks for the younger groups of both sexes. The study supplement the exploration of age-and-sex related differences and the interaction of sex and age in tongue pressure.

Population-based reference values for tongue pressure in Japanese older adults: A pooled analysis of over 5,000 participants

“…Similar to other parts of the body [19,20,25,26], oral function may be significantly affected by aging. Age-related loss of tongue muscle mass as well as reduction in muscle tone accompanied by the accumulation of nonmuscular tissue were suggested to be causes of age-related decreases in TP [27].…”

Frictional behaviour of plant proteins in soft contacts: unveiling nanoscale mechanisms

“…18 To this end, PDMS surfaces with a biologically relevant modulus of 150 kPa were employed as surfaces to test the lubrication and adsorption performance of lupine (Lup), pea (Pea), and potato (Pot) proteins, 18 using contact pressures <50 kPa, in the physiological regime. 20–22 Different food-relevant pH and ionic strength conditions that can occur orally were chosen i.e. pH 3.0 and 10 mM NaCl, pH 7.0 and 10 mM NaCl, and pH 7.0 and 50 mM NaCl, a minimal sample set to test the effect of both pH and ionic strength as electrostatic interactions are expected to play a pivotal role in the formation and stability of charged protein films in the oral cavity.…”

“…Therefore, FFM on soft surfaces enables tribological measurements into a realistic physiological regime, equating to surface contact pressures of <50 kPa at the lower end of the force range covered in this study (specifically at <10 nN normal force), a range experienced in the oral cavity, where tongue pressures of 40–80 kPa are typical in healthy adults. 20–22 Furthermore, this tribological study with plant proteins gives an unprecedented understanding of the dynamics when a plant protein moiety encounters a single papilla in a tongue rather than the entire tongue. Understanding the frictional behaviour of plant proteins and their interaction with mucin-coated surfaces, a representative of many biological surfaces, and in particular oral mucosa, will enable optimizing plant proteins effectively to be used for biomaterial design intended for the oral administration route.…”

Bioenergetic Evaluation of Muscle Fatigue in Murine Tongue

“…Although the tongue has been considered indefatigable for swallow tasks (given that maximum force capacity of the tongue exceeds the minimum amount of force required for these tasks [43]), it is known that performance of oral motor tasks can be impacted by fatigue [44]. Studies have shown that performance of oral motor tasks can be impacted when muscles are brought to fatigue prior to initiating a functional oral motor task, indicating that fatigued tongue muscles demonstrate impaired performance on motor speech [45] and swallowing tasks [46] when muscle reserves are depleted.…”