Impact of Progressive Tongue Strengthening Exercise on Submental Muscles
Mentor 1
Barbara Pauloski
Start Date
28-4-2023 12:00 AM
Description
Reduced tongue strength can lead to dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing. Research has demonstrated that tongue strengthening exercises may improve dysphagia symptoms. There is evidence that tongue strengthening exercises result in increased activity of the muscles under the chin which form the floor of the mouth (submental muscles). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the submental musculature in healthy adults changes during a 6-week tongue strengthening exercise program as measured with B-mode ultrasound. Participants received a 6-week program of progressive tongue strengthening exercise using the Tongueometer, a commercially available pressure transducer designed specifically for tongue strengthening. The exercise program consisted of 3 sets of 30 repetitions, 5 days per week for 6 weeks. The submental muscles were visualized in the transverse plane using B-mode ultrasound at 4 evaluation points: a) baseline (prior to initiation of the exercise program); b) end of Week 2; c) end of Week 4; and d) end of Week 6 (completion of exercise program). Ten healthy adult women participated in the study. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated a significant increase in tongue strength over the 6-week exercise program. Analysis of ultrasound images is currently ongoing. Length and width of the anterior belly of the digastric muscles and the geniohyoid muscles are measured from the ultrasound images to track change in muscle mass in response to the tongue strengthening program. The 6-week progressive exercise program was effective at increasing tongue pressure in the study participants. Preliminary analysis indicates that subjects demonstrate increased length and width of the submental muscles in association with tongue pressure increases. If the final results reveal that changes in the submental musculature are observed using B-mode ultrasound, then the mechanism by which tongue strengthening exercise impacts swallowing function will be further elucidated.
Impact of Progressive Tongue Strengthening Exercise on Submental Muscles
Reduced tongue strength can lead to dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing. Research has demonstrated that tongue strengthening exercises may improve dysphagia symptoms. There is evidence that tongue strengthening exercises result in increased activity of the muscles under the chin which form the floor of the mouth (submental muscles). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the submental musculature in healthy adults changes during a 6-week tongue strengthening exercise program as measured with B-mode ultrasound. Participants received a 6-week program of progressive tongue strengthening exercise using the Tongueometer, a commercially available pressure transducer designed specifically for tongue strengthening. The exercise program consisted of 3 sets of 30 repetitions, 5 days per week for 6 weeks. The submental muscles were visualized in the transverse plane using B-mode ultrasound at 4 evaluation points: a) baseline (prior to initiation of the exercise program); b) end of Week 2; c) end of Week 4; and d) end of Week 6 (completion of exercise program). Ten healthy adult women participated in the study. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated a significant increase in tongue strength over the 6-week exercise program. Analysis of ultrasound images is currently ongoing. Length and width of the anterior belly of the digastric muscles and the geniohyoid muscles are measured from the ultrasound images to track change in muscle mass in response to the tongue strengthening program. The 6-week progressive exercise program was effective at increasing tongue pressure in the study participants. Preliminary analysis indicates that subjects demonstrate increased length and width of the submental muscles in association with tongue pressure increases. If the final results reveal that changes in the submental musculature are observed using B-mode ultrasound, then the mechanism by which tongue strengthening exercise impacts swallowing function will be further elucidated.
