The Effects of Lingual Exercise on Swallowing in Older Adults

Abstract

The findings indicate that lingual resistance exercise is promising not only for preventing dysphagia due to sarcopenia, but also as a treatment strategy for patients with lingual weakness and swallowing disability due to frailty or other age-related conditions. The potential effect of lingual exercise on reducing dysphagia-related comorbidities (pneumonia, malnutrition, and dehydration) and healthcare costs while improving quality of life is encouraging.

Differential effects of targeted tongue exercise and treadmill running on aging tongue muscle structure and contractile properties

“…In our study, all rats in the young adult, middleaged, and old groups significantly increased their maximal voluntary tongue forces after the 8 wk of training. Human studies that have used progressive resistance exercises that target the lingual musculature have found improvements in strength and swallowing function as well (29,58). The volun- tary gains in strength observed in our study were also manifested on a contractile and biochemical level.…”

“…Progressive resistance tongue exercise is a current clinical treatment of dysphagia that is associated with improvements in the swallow (29,58). However, no prior studies have examined the effects of a nonspecific exercise, such as treadmill running, on the swallow.…”

“…Targeted tongue exercises, such as progressive resistance tongue exercise, have been shown to increase tongue forces and have been associated with improved swallowing function (29,58). Animal models have shown that 8 wk of progressive resistance tongue exercise is associated with changes in GG muscle fiber structure and tongue force, even in old animals (11,67).…”

“…Current clinical treatments for oropharyngeal dysphagia have targeted the tongue with the goal of strengthening associated musculature (5,38,58,63,89). Targeted tongue exercises, such as progressive resistance tongue exercise, have been shown to increase tongue forces and have been associated with improved swallowing function (29,58).…”

O efeito da eletroestimulação neuromuscular na contração da musculatura supra-hióidea durante a deglutição de indivíduos com disfagia

“…The traditional speech therapy included the realization of active myofunctional exercises that promote contraction of suprahyoid muscles, associating them with saliva or food swallowing, in a safe consistency to patient. They were: use of respiratory exerciser to promote blow with strength 17,18 , the sharp production of the phoneme /i/, Shaker maneuver and maneuver Shaker adaptada [19][20][21] , tongue opposition against palato 22 , maneuver Masako 23 and protrusion tongue 24 with and without resistance. To avoid influence of gains in other aspects of swallowing function that promote possible increase in the contraction of suprahyoid muscles, were not performed other therapeutic techniques such as extra and intraoral stimulation, oral…”