A Study of Tongue Thickness in Elderly People in Japan
Main Article Content
Abstract
The tongue is an important organ responsible for eating, swallowing and articulatory functions. We have focused on the tongue and studied the relationships of tongue muscles with swallowing function and systemic conditions (nutritional status).
Ultrasonography was used to non-invasively measure tongue volume, setting the vertical thickness of the tongue as an index of the tongue’s volume.
We have conducted three types of studies and obtained the following results:
- Dysphagia or malnutrition may affect tongue thickness, with subsequent worsening of malnutrition.
- Decreased tongue thickness in elderly people requiring nursing care is associated with not only their physical state but also declining oral functions.
- Tongue muscle mass to change in parallel with skeletal muscle mass changes. in men.
These results suggested that measurement of tongue thickness using ultrasonography may be beneficial for screening evaluation of nutritional status and motor function in elderly people.
Article Details
How to Cite
TAMURA, Fumiyo et al.
A Study of Tongue Thickness in Elderly People in Japan.
Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 5, n. 8, aug. 2017.
ISSN 2375-1924.
Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/1433>. Date accessed: 26 dec. 2024.
Section
Review Articles
The Medical Research Archives grants authors the right to publish and reproduce the unrevised contribution in whole or in part at any time and in any form for any scholarly non-commercial purpose with the condition that all publications of the contribution include a full citation to the journal as published by the Medical Research Archives.
References
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2. Ardakani FE. Evaluation of Swallowing Patterns of the Tongue Using Real-time B-mode Sonography. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2006; 7(3): 67-74.
3. Ajaj W, Goyen M, Herrmann B, Massing S, Goehde S, Lauenstein T, et al. Measuring tongue volumes and visualizing the chewing and swallowing process using real-time TrueFISP imaging--initial clinical experience in healthy volunteers and patients with acromegaly. Eur Radiol. 2005; 15(5): 913-918.
4. Humbert IA, Reeder SB, Porcaro EJ, Kays SA, Brittain JH, Robbins J. Simultaneous estimation of tongue volume and fat fraction using IDEAL-FSE. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2008; 28(2): 504-508.
5. Watanabe S, Ayano R, Ohtsuka Y, Mukai Y, Kanko Y. Ultrasound analysis in coronal section of tongue surface movements during swallowing. JJSDH. 1995; 16(1): 24-37. (article in Japanese)
6. Okayama H, Tamura F, Kikutani T, Kayanaka H, Katagiri H, Nishiwaki K. Effects of a palatal augmentation prosthesis on lingual function in postoperative patients with oral cancer: coronal section analysis by ultrasonography. Odontology. 2008; 96(1): 26-31.
7. Rosenberg H. Summary comments: Epidemiologic and methodologic problems in determining nutritional status of older persons. Proceedings of a conference. Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 19-21, 1988. Am J Clin Nutr. 1989; 50(5 Suppl): 1231-1233.
8. Tamura F, Kikutani T, Tohara T, Yoshida M, Yaegaki K. Tongue thickness relates to nutritional status in the elderly. Dysphagia. 2012; 27(4): 556-561.
9. Kikutani T, Tamura F, Nishiwaki K, Kodama M, Suda M, Fukui T, et al. Oral motor function and masticatory performance in the community-dwelling elderly. Odontology. 2009; 97(1): 38-42.
10. Tamura F, Mizukami M, Ayano R, Mukai Y. Analysis of feeding function and jaw stability in bedridden elderly. Dysphagia. 2002;17(3): 235-241.
11. Tamura F, Suzuki S. Effects of edentulism on lingual functions during swallowing. J Disabil Oral Health. 2004; 5(2): 83-87.
12. Okada K, Enoki H, Izawa S, Iguchi A, Kuzuya M. Association between masticatory performance and anthropometric measurements and nutritional status in the elderly. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2010; 10(1): 56-63.
13. Chazot C, Laurent G, Charra B, Blanc C, VoVan C, Jean G, et al. Malnutrition in long-term haemodialysis survivors. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2001; 16(1): 61-69.
14. Okayama H, Tamura F, Tohara T, Kikutani T. A Study on the Tongue Thickness of the Elderly with Care Needs. JJSDH, 2010; 31(4): 723-729. (article in Japanese)
15. Hayashi R, Tsuga K, Hosokawa R, Yoshida M, Sato Y, Akagawa Y. A novel handy probe for tongue pressure measurement. Int J Prosthodont. 2002;15(4): 385-388.
16. Tamura F, Kikutani T, Nishiwaki K, Enomoto R, Inaba S, Yoneyama T. Relation between the level of care needed and frailty for labial functions. Nihon Ronen Igakkai Zasshi. 2006; 43(3): 398-402. (article in Japanese).
17. Ishii S, Tanaka T, Akishita M, Ouchi Y, Tuji T, Iijima K; Kashiwa study investigators. Metabolic syndrome, sarcopenia and role of sex and age: cross-sectional analysis of Kashiwa cohort study. PLoS One. 2014 Nov 2014;8; 9(11): e112718.
18. Kuroda A, Tanaka T, Hirano H, Ohara Y, Kikutani T, Furuya H, et al. Eating Alone as Social Disengagement is Strongly Associated With Depressive Symptoms in Japanese Community-Dwelling Older Adults. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2015; 16(7): 578-585.
19. Furuya H, Tamura F, Yoshida M, Hirano H, Iijima K, Kikutani T. Tongue Muscle Mass and Strength Relate to Whole-Body Muscle in the Community-Dwelling Elderly. J Jpn Assoc Oral Rehabil. 2016; 29(1): 1-9. (article in Japanese)
20. Shafer KJ, Siders WA, Johnson LK, Lukaski HC. Validity of segmental multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis to estimate body composition of adults across a range of body mass indexes. Nutrition. 2009; 25(1): 25-32.
21. Kim M, Kim H: Accuracy of segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis for assessing whole-body and appendicular fat mass and lean soft tissue mass in frail women aged 75 years and older. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013; 67(4): 395-400.
22. Gallagher D, Visser M, De Meersman RE, Sepúlveda D, Baumgartner RN, Pierson RN, et al. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass: effects of age, gender, and ethnicity. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1997; 83(1): 229-239.
23. Janssen I, Heymsfield SB, Wang ZM, Ross R. Skeletal muscle mass and distribution in 468 men and women aged 18-88 yr. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2000; 89(1): 81-88.
24. Baumgartner RN, Waters DL, Gallagher D, Morley JE, Garry PJ. Predictors of skeletal muscle mass in elderly men and women. Mech Ageing Dev. 1999; 107(2): 123-136.
2. Ardakani FE. Evaluation of Swallowing Patterns of the Tongue Using Real-time B-mode Sonography. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2006; 7(3): 67-74.
3. Ajaj W, Goyen M, Herrmann B, Massing S, Goehde S, Lauenstein T, et al. Measuring tongue volumes and visualizing the chewing and swallowing process using real-time TrueFISP imaging--initial clinical experience in healthy volunteers and patients with acromegaly. Eur Radiol. 2005; 15(5): 913-918.
4. Humbert IA, Reeder SB, Porcaro EJ, Kays SA, Brittain JH, Robbins J. Simultaneous estimation of tongue volume and fat fraction using IDEAL-FSE. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2008; 28(2): 504-508.
5. Watanabe S, Ayano R, Ohtsuka Y, Mukai Y, Kanko Y. Ultrasound analysis in coronal section of tongue surface movements during swallowing. JJSDH. 1995; 16(1): 24-37. (article in Japanese)
6. Okayama H, Tamura F, Kikutani T, Kayanaka H, Katagiri H, Nishiwaki K. Effects of a palatal augmentation prosthesis on lingual function in postoperative patients with oral cancer: coronal section analysis by ultrasonography. Odontology. 2008; 96(1): 26-31.
7. Rosenberg H. Summary comments: Epidemiologic and methodologic problems in determining nutritional status of older persons. Proceedings of a conference. Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 19-21, 1988. Am J Clin Nutr. 1989; 50(5 Suppl): 1231-1233.
8. Tamura F, Kikutani T, Tohara T, Yoshida M, Yaegaki K. Tongue thickness relates to nutritional status in the elderly. Dysphagia. 2012; 27(4): 556-561.
9. Kikutani T, Tamura F, Nishiwaki K, Kodama M, Suda M, Fukui T, et al. Oral motor function and masticatory performance in the community-dwelling elderly. Odontology. 2009; 97(1): 38-42.
10. Tamura F, Mizukami M, Ayano R, Mukai Y. Analysis of feeding function and jaw stability in bedridden elderly. Dysphagia. 2002;17(3): 235-241.
11. Tamura F, Suzuki S. Effects of edentulism on lingual functions during swallowing. J Disabil Oral Health. 2004; 5(2): 83-87.
12. Okada K, Enoki H, Izawa S, Iguchi A, Kuzuya M. Association between masticatory performance and anthropometric measurements and nutritional status in the elderly. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2010; 10(1): 56-63.
13. Chazot C, Laurent G, Charra B, Blanc C, VoVan C, Jean G, et al. Malnutrition in long-term haemodialysis survivors. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2001; 16(1): 61-69.
14. Okayama H, Tamura F, Tohara T, Kikutani T. A Study on the Tongue Thickness of the Elderly with Care Needs. JJSDH, 2010; 31(4): 723-729. (article in Japanese)
15. Hayashi R, Tsuga K, Hosokawa R, Yoshida M, Sato Y, Akagawa Y. A novel handy probe for tongue pressure measurement. Int J Prosthodont. 2002;15(4): 385-388.
16. Tamura F, Kikutani T, Nishiwaki K, Enomoto R, Inaba S, Yoneyama T. Relation between the level of care needed and frailty for labial functions. Nihon Ronen Igakkai Zasshi. 2006; 43(3): 398-402. (article in Japanese).
17. Ishii S, Tanaka T, Akishita M, Ouchi Y, Tuji T, Iijima K; Kashiwa study investigators. Metabolic syndrome, sarcopenia and role of sex and age: cross-sectional analysis of Kashiwa cohort study. PLoS One. 2014 Nov 2014;8; 9(11): e112718.
18. Kuroda A, Tanaka T, Hirano H, Ohara Y, Kikutani T, Furuya H, et al. Eating Alone as Social Disengagement is Strongly Associated With Depressive Symptoms in Japanese Community-Dwelling Older Adults. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2015; 16(7): 578-585.
19. Furuya H, Tamura F, Yoshida M, Hirano H, Iijima K, Kikutani T. Tongue Muscle Mass and Strength Relate to Whole-Body Muscle in the Community-Dwelling Elderly. J Jpn Assoc Oral Rehabil. 2016; 29(1): 1-9. (article in Japanese)
20. Shafer KJ, Siders WA, Johnson LK, Lukaski HC. Validity of segmental multiple-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis to estimate body composition of adults across a range of body mass indexes. Nutrition. 2009; 25(1): 25-32.
21. Kim M, Kim H: Accuracy of segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis for assessing whole-body and appendicular fat mass and lean soft tissue mass in frail women aged 75 years and older. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013; 67(4): 395-400.
22. Gallagher D, Visser M, De Meersman RE, Sepúlveda D, Baumgartner RN, Pierson RN, et al. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass: effects of age, gender, and ethnicity. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1997; 83(1): 229-239.
23. Janssen I, Heymsfield SB, Wang ZM, Ross R. Skeletal muscle mass and distribution in 468 men and women aged 18-88 yr. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2000; 89(1): 81-88.
24. Baumgartner RN, Waters DL, Gallagher D, Morley JE, Garry PJ. Predictors of skeletal muscle mass in elderly men and women. Mech Ageing Dev. 1999; 107(2): 123-136.