Mohit Kothari1, Peter Svensson2, Jim Jensen3, Trine Davidsen Holm4, Mathilde Skorstengaard Nielsen4, Trine Mosegaard4, Jørgen Feldbæk Nielsen3, Maysam Ghovanloo5, Lene Baad-Hansen4. 1. Section of Clinical Oral Physiology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark. Electronic address: mohit.kothari@odontologi.au.dk. 2. Section of Clinical Oral Physiology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark; MINDLab, Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C, Denmark. 3. Hammel Neurorehabilitation and Research Centre, Hammel, Denmark. 4. Section of Clinical Oral Physiology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark. 5. GT-Bionics Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of tongue disability, age, and sex on motor performance for a tongue-training paradigm involving playing a computer game using the Tongue Drive System (TDS). DESIGN: Two controlled observational studies. SETTING: A neurorehabilitation center and a dental school. PARTICIPANTS: In study 1, tongue-disabled patients with symptoms of dysphagia and dysarthria (n=11) and age- and sex-matched controls (n=11) participated in tongue training. In study 2, healthy elderly persons (n=16) and healthy young persons (n=16) volunteered. INTERVENTION: In study 1 and study 2, the tongue training lasted 30 and 40 minutes, respectively. Participants were instructed to play a computer game with the tongue using TDS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Motor performance was compared between groups in both studies. Correlation analyses were performed between age and relative improvement in performance. Subject-based reports of motivation, fun, pain, and fatigue evaluated on 0-to-10 numeric rating scales were compared between groups. RESULTS: In study 1, tongue-disabled patients performed poorer than healthy controls (P=.005) and with a trend of a sex difference (P=.046). In study 2, healthy young participants performed better than healthy elderly participants (P<.001), but there was no effect of sex (P=.140). There was a significant negative correlation between age and relative improvement in performance (δ=-.450; P=.009). There were no significant differences in subject-based reports of motivation, fun, pain, and fatigue between groups in any of the studies (P>.094). CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides evidence that tongue disability and age can influence behavioral measures of tongue motor performance. TDS may be a new adjunctive neurorehabilitation regimen in treating tongue-disabled patients.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of tongue disability, age, and sex on motor performance for a tongue-training paradigm involving playing a computer game using the Tongue Drive System (TDS). DESIGN: Two controlled observational studies. SETTING: A neurorehabilitation center and a dental school. PARTICIPANTS: In study 1, tongue-disabled patients with symptoms of dysphagia and dysarthria (n=11) and age- and sex-matched controls (n=11) participated in tongue training. In study 2, healthy elderly persons (n=16) and healthy young persons (n=16) volunteered. INTERVENTION: In study 1 and study 2, the tongue training lasted 30 and 40 minutes, respectively. Participants were instructed to play a computer game with the tongue using TDS. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Motor performance was compared between groups in both studies. Correlation analyses were performed between age and relative improvement in performance. Subject-based reports of motivation, fun, pain, and fatigue evaluated on 0-to-10 numeric rating scales were compared between groups. RESULTS: In study 1, tongue-disabled patients performed poorer than healthy controls (P=.005) and with a trend of a sex difference (P=.046). In study 2, healthy young participants performed better than healthy elderly participants (P<.001), but there was no effect of sex (P=.140). There was a significant negative correlation between age and relative improvement in performance (δ=-.450; P=.009). There were no significant differences in subject-based reports of motivation, fun, pain, and fatigue between groups in any of the studies (P>.094). CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides evidence that tongue disability and age can influence behavioral measures of tongue motor performance. TDS may be a new adjunctive neurorehabilitation regimen in treating tongue-disabled patients.