Article

Tongue-pressure resistance training is known to increase tongue strength in
seniors and individuals with stroke-related dysphagia. However, evidence of
associated functional improvements in swallowing is equivocal. We investigated
similarities in pressure waveform profiles between swallowing and several
tongue-palate pressure tasks to identify tasks that may be best suited for
inclusion in tongue-pressure resistance training protocols for patients who are
unable to safely perform real bolus swallows in treatment. Tongue-palate
pressures were recorded in 20 healthy young adults. Participants performed water
and nectar-thick juice swallows, effortful and noneffortful saliva swallows, and
"half-maximum" tongue-palate partial-pressure tasks emphasizing either anterior
or posterior tongue-palate contact at different speeds. Pressure slopes
(amplitude change over time) during the pressure application (rise) and
withdrawal (release) phases were analyzed. A subset of four tasks with the
greatest similarity in slope characteristics to those seen in bolus swallows was
identified: anterior-emphasis half-maximum tongue-palate presses,
posterior-emphasis maximum isometric tongue-palate presses, posterior-emphasis
half-maximum slow tongue-palate presses, and effortful saliva swallows. We
propose that future research should explore the degree to which swallowing
improvements are obtained from treatment protocols that emphasize these tasks.

Langue : ANGLAIS