2021 Volume 38 Issue 4 Pages 680-683
Recently, a program aimed at maintaining and improving oral motor function has been implemented to prevent the need for nursing care in elderly people living in the community. This program has been reported to be effective as a countermeasure against oral frailty in the elderly. However, despite the suggested relationship between oral motor function and cognitive function, the impact of a program to improve oral function on cognitive function and motivation is unclear.
In the present study, we investigated the effects of a program to improve oral function on oral articulatory function, cognitive function, and motivation in elderly people living in the community. No significant change was observed in oral articulatory function before and after implementation of the program ; however, significant change was observed in executive function within cognitive function.
This improvement in executive function was attributed to the increased social interaction and awareness in the elderly who participated in the program.
