Article

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 (delta=-.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.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS