Characteristics of Tongue Pressure and Oro-Motor Functions in Patients with Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor control. This study aims to examine the characteristics of oromotor function and tongue pressure during 5ml water swallowing between patients with PD and normal adults. Methods: 16 patients with PD and 16 normal adults participated in this study. To evaluate oral motor function, the Korean-version of Speech Mechanism Screening Test (SMST) was used. Additionally, the tongue pressure device of Digital Swallowing Workstation<sup>TM</sup> (Model 7120, KayPentex, USA) was used to measure three different positions (anterior, middle, posterior) of the tongue pressure during the 5 mL water swallow. Results: PD patients demonstrated significantly reduced oro-motor function, especially in the tongue and lips compared to the normal group. Moreover, significantly lower tongue pressure was detected in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Anterior tongue strength, in particular, showed greater decline in the PD group, but there were no significant differences across the different tongue positions. Conclusion: Declined tongue pressure and oromotor dysfunction can increase the risk of dysphagia in PD. Therefore, tongue pressure measurement can help detect the tongue motor disability related to swallowing and manage for oro-pharyngeal dysaphagia in patients with PD.