2021 Volume 25 Issue 1 Pages 3-10
Tongue-to-palate pressure generation has been reported to be suitable for strengthening the suprahyoid muscles. To strengthen the muscles, it is necessary to plan the exercise load appropriately; however, the intensity of tongue-to-palate pressure generation required to strengthen the suprahyoid muscles is unclear. This study aimed to determine the correlation between tongue-to-palate pressure generation and the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the suprahyoid muscles and the intensity of tongue-to-palate pressure generation to strengthen the suprahyoid muscles in healthy older adults.
A total of 15 healthy younger adults (27.1±2.6 years) and 12 healthy older adults (76.0±3.0 years) participated in this study. Values are shown as mean ± SD. We determined the EMG activity of the suprahyoid muscles when the participants performed the head-raising exercise and tongue-to-palate pressure generation. To standardize the percentages of maximum pressure, the participants were asked to produce a pressure equal to various percentages of their maximum tongue-to-palate pressure. This was done in 20% increments ranging from 20% of maximum pressure to maximum tongue pressure. Pearson’s productmoment correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between tongue-to-palate pressure and EMG activity of the suprahyoid muscles. A simple linear regression analysis was performed to estimate the exercise intensity of the tongue required for functional improvement of the suprahyoid muscles.
Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient for evaluating the relationship between tongue-to-palate pressure and activity of the suprahyoid muscles in healthy younger and older adults. The EMG activity of the suprahyoid muscles during the head-raising exercise was equivalent to the suprahyoid EMG activity induced by 65% of maximum tongue pressure in healthy younger adults and 50% of maximum tongue pressure in healthy older adults.
Tongue-to-palate pressure generation at 50% of maximum tongue pressure showed effective EMG activity in the suprahyoid muscles and can be used to strengthen the suprahyoid muscles in healthy older adults. Future studies are needed to determine the exercise load such as duration and frequency of exercise and the anterior or posterior position required to strengthen the suprahyoid muscles.
