Abstract
Aoki Y, Kabuto S, Ozeki Y, Tanaka T, Ota K. The effect of tongue pressure strengthening exercise for dysphagic patients. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2015; 6: 129-136.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and the effect of tongue pressure strengthening exercise for dysphagic patients by quasi-randomized controlled trial.
Methods: Thirty-four dysphagic patients were randomly assigned to either an intervention group that received rehabilitation including tongue pressure strengthening exercise or a control group that received conventional rehabilitation. Both groups participated in a 40-minute rehabilitation program five times a week for three weeks, and the intervention group also participated in tongue pressure strengthening exercise for ten minutes. We evaluated the Maximum Tongue Pressure (MTP), Swallowing Tongue Pressure (STP), Dysphagia Severity Scale (DSS), Eating Status Scale (ESS), Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), and Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA) before and after the intervention.
Results: Both groups demonstrated a significant improvement in the DSS, ESS, FOIS and MASA scores (p < 0.01). Only the intervention group showed a significant improvement in the MTP and STP scores. A comparison of the degree of change between the two groups showed a significant improvement in the MTP, STP and MASA of the intervention group. The intervention group also showed five improvements in the oral and the pharyngeal function in the MASA items.
Conclusion: The tongue pressure strengthening exercise promoted the improvement of dysphagia. Furthermore, this finding suggests that the exercise led to the improvement of not only the oral phase but also the pharyngeal phase of the swallowing function.
