The Relationships of Tongue Pressure and Masticatory Performance with Nutrient Intake in Parkinson's Disease Patients

Abstract

　Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the relationships of tongue pressure and masticatory performance with nutrient intake in Parkinson's disease patients.

　Subjects and Methods: The subjects were 10 Parkinson's disease patients (“PD group”) and 24 without PD (“control group”) in their 70s and 80s. A diet survey, tongue pressure measurements and masticatory performance measurements were conducted for both groups. The masticatory performance score method was used for the measurements.

　Results: The median age of the subjects was 72.5 years old in both groups. In the PD group, the Hoehn and Yahr stage was Yahr 1–3, and none of them had changed their diet. The median tongue pressure was 33.8 kPa in the PD group and 36.5 kPa in the control group, and the median masticatory performance score was 2 and 6 in the former and latter. respectively. The masticatory performance was significantly lower in the PD group than in the control group (p＝.046). No significant difference in nutrient intake was observed between the two groups. In the PD group, patients with a lower tongue pressure had a significantly higher intake of polyunsaturated fatty acid (r_s＝－.745, p ＝ .013) and those with a lower masticatory performance had a significantly higher intake of soluble dietary fiber (r_s＝－.790, p＝.006). In the control group, the tongue pressure and masticatory performance showed no significant relationship with nutrient intake.

　Discussion and Conclusion: In the PD group, patients with a lower tongue pressure and masticatory performance had a significantly higher intake of polyunsaturated fatty acid and soluble dietary fiber. The results are inconsistent with the tendency of elderly people in general, in which those with a lower tongue pressure and masticatory performance showed less nutrient intake. Polyunsaturated fatty acid and soluble dietary fiber are contained in large amounts in vegetables and seafood products, some of which require a high masticatory performance; however, none of the subjects with decreased tongue pressure and masticatory performance had changed their diet. This suggests there is a possibility that even Parkinson's disease patients with decreased tongue pressure and masticatory performance might eat food that requires mastication. Thus, it is considered that oral function and diet should be assessed from an early stage of Parkinson's disease.