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New findings reveal that tongue strength influences food consumption in older adults.
Posted On: October 21, 2016
By Shaalee Dworski, ORT Writer & UHN Trainee
It’s sensitive to bites, burns and blisters. We use it every day to talk and eat. This small yet strong oral muscle, the tongue, is vital to completing daily tasks. Though it isn’t the strongest muscle in the body, a commonly held myth, it is a powerhouse that can withstand being used in both speech and swallowing continuously throughout the day.
As we age, though, the tongue does get weaker.
This can be problematic for older adults who are at risk of malnutrition, especially those who have dementia and/or live in long-term care facilities. Ashwini Namasivayam, a PhD candidate in Dr. Catriona Steele’s lab at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, investigated whether tongue strength negatively affects meal consumption in the elderly living in long-term care.
They tested the effect of weak tongue strength on meal consumption in nursing home residents aged 65 to 99. Residents who had difficulty swallowing were screened for dysphagia (also known as swallowing impairments). The findings revealed that those who had swallowing difficulties also had weaker tongues.
This study highlights an important problem that health care practitioners at long-term care facilities need to be aware of, especially in the coming years as the baby-boomer generation ages. Click here to view the original article.
The ORT spoke with first author Ashwini Namasivayam:
Does the presence and quantity of teeth also affect meal characteristics?
Unfortunately, our lab has not yet explored the connection between oral health (ie, specifically the presence of and number of teeth) and mealtime outcomes; however, this is something one of our collaborators at the University of Alberta is currently studying.
Is there anything aging adults can do to maintain tongue strength? Can you do tongue exercises?
We are actually in the midst of preparing a manuscript for publication that trialled tongue strengthening exercises to improve mealtime outcomes in the LTC setting. Tongue exercises were feasible and helped to significantly strengthen tongues in the elderly living in LTC, but there are still questions as to the functional outcomes associated with the exercises. Stay tuned for our publication!
It’s sensitive to bites, burns and blisters. We use it every day to talk and eat. This small yet strong oral muscle, the tongue, is vital to completing daily tasks. Though it isn’t the strongest muscle in the body, a commonly held myth, it is a powerhouse that can withstand being used in both speech and swallowing continuously throughout the day.
As we age, though, the tongue does get weaker.
This can be problematic for older adults who are at risk of malnutrition, especially those who have dementia and/or live in long-term care facilities. Ashwini Namasivayam, a PhD candidate in Dr. Catriona Steele’s lab at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, investigated whether tongue strength negatively affects meal consumption in the elderly living in long-term care.
They tested the effect of weak tongue strength on meal consumption in nursing home residents aged 65 to 99. Residents who had difficulty swallowing were screened for dysphagia (also known as swallowing impairments). The findings revealed that those who had swallowing difficulties also had weaker tongues.
This study highlights an important problem that health care practitioners at long-term care facilities need to be aware of, especially in the coming years as the baby-boomer generation ages. Click here to view the original article.
The ORT spoke with first author Ashwini Namasivayam:
Does the presence and quantity of teeth also affect meal characteristics?
Unfortunately, our lab has not yet explored the connection between oral health (ie, specifically the presence of and number of teeth) and mealtime outcomes; however, this is something one of our collaborators at the University of Alberta is currently studying.
Is there anything aging adults can do to maintain tongue strength? Can you do tongue exercises?
We are actually in the midst of preparing a manuscript for publication that trialled tongue strengthening exercises to improve mealtime outcomes in the LTC setting. Tongue exercises were feasible and helped to significantly strengthen tongues in the elderly living in LTC, but there are still questions as to the functional outcomes associated with the exercises. Stay tuned for our publication!
Ashwini Namasivayam, first author and UHN trainee.