A Study of Tongue Thickness in Elderly People in Japan

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:

1. Dysphagia or malnutrition may affect tongue thickness, with subsequent worsening of malnutrition.
2. Decreased tongue thickness in elderly people requiring nursing care is associated with not only their physical state but also declining oral functions.
3. 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.