Assessment of muscular tone of the tongue using a digital measure spoon in a healthy population: A pilot study.

Laura Rodríguez-Alcalá,Carlos O´Connor-Reina,Juan Martín-Lagos Martínez,Guillermo Plaza,Giovanni Cammaroto

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0245901

Abstract

The study of the muscles of the tongue forms part of a basic evaluation of upper airway function that includes swallowing, speaking and chewing. It is important because the upper airway presents a region of collapse during sleep. Through the action of the dilator muscles, mainly the genioglossus, such collapse can be prevented. In this study, we present a simple tool that can be used to measure the strength of the tongue. This tool may provide an easy way to measure tongue function and allow a simple evaluation of pathologies that affect the tone of the tongue. We have carried out 20 tongue strength measurements using the Tongue Digital Spoon (TDS) in a healthy adult population, using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) as the gold standard. To validate the procedure, we performed replicate measurements on 20 individuals aged 20–70 years. We found a mean TDS measurement of 115.99 g/cm2 in young subjects, 98.47 g/cm2 in middle-aged subjects and 84.23 g/cm2 in the elderly. There was a significant difference in the measurements between young and elderly participants. There was also a significant correlation between TDS and IOPI measurements (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.69, P < 0.001). We found the TDS to be a useful tool in daily clinical practice for the measurement of the strength of the tongue in the healthy population. It has potential application in oropharyngeal monitoring and rehabilitation.

Highlights

The study of the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the tongue is basic to understanding the anatomy of the upper airway and to evaluate the muscle functions of swallowing, speaking and chewing [1]
The subject holds the spoon by the handle and, with their elbow resting on a flat surface, brings the spoon closer to the tongue with an elbow angle of approximately 30 ̊
In a series of 20 healthy people (12 men and 8 women), we carried out measurements with the Tongue Digital Spoon (TDS)

Summary

Introduction

The study of the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the tongue is basic to understanding the anatomy of the upper airway and to evaluate the muscle functions of swallowing, speaking and chewing [1]. We know that the upper airway presents a region of collapse during sleep. Through the action of the dilator muscles, mainly the genioglossus, such collapse can be prevented [2]. Several studies have focused on the strength of the tongue and its role in the pathophysiology of dysphagia and speech disorders secondary to a central pathology [3].

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