Yusuke Aoki, OTR, Shuntaro Kabuto, OTR, Yasunori Ozeki, MD, PhD, Takashi Tanaka, MD, PhD, Kikuo Ota, MD, PhD
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 6: 129-136, 2015
Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate
the efficacy and the effect of tongue pressure
strengthening exercise for dysphagic patients by
quasi-randomized controlled trial.
Methods: Thirty-four dysphagic patients were
randomly assigned to either an intervention group that
received rehabilitation including tongue pressure
strengthening exercise or a control group that received
conventional rehabilitation. Both groups participated
in a 40-minute rehabilitation program five times a
week for three weeks, and the intervention group also
participated in tongue pressure strengthening exercise
for ten minutes. We evaluated the Maximum Tongue
Pressure (MTP), Swallowing Tongue Pressure (STP),
Dysphagia Severity Scale (DSS), Eating Status Scale
(ESS), Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS), and Mann
Assessment of Swallowing Ability (MASA) before
and after the intervention.
Results: Both groups demonstrated a significant
improvement in the DSS, ESS, FOIS and MASA
scores (p < 0.01). Only the intervention group showed
a significant improvement in the MTP and STP scores.
A comparison of the degree of change between the two
groups showed a significant improvement in the MTP,
STP and MASA of the intervention group. The
intervention group also showed five improvements in
the oral and the pharyngeal function in the MASA
items.
Conclusion: The tongue pressure strengthening
exercise promoted the improvement of dysphagia.
Furthermore, this finding suggests that the exercise led
to the improvement of not only the oral phase but also
the pharyngeal phase of the swallowing function.
Key words: tongue pressure, dysphagia, rehabilitation, quasi-randomized controlled trial