Effectiveness of Tongue Resistance Exercises on Tongue and Swallowing Function in Frail Older Adults with MCI

Chang Gung Medical Foundation

Status: Completed

Conditions: Mild Cognitive Impairment

Treatments: Behavioral: Tongue resistance exercises; Behavioral: cheek bulging exercises

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06766487

N202001044

CMRPG5L0032 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of tongue resistance exercises on tongue muscle strength and swallowing function in frail older adults with mild cognitive impairment living in the community.

This study adopts a longitudinal research design with randomization. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups using an online computer-based randomization tool. The experimental group performed tongue resistance exercises, while the control group practiced cheek bulging exercises.

Full description

Recruitment took place in nursing homes, day care centers, and community care centers across Taiwan. Participants were older adults aged 65 years or older with mild cognitive impairment and frailty, enrolled between August 1, 2021, and July 31, 2022.

Participants were randomly divided into two groups by computer, 23 peoples per group, The experimental group performed tongue resistance exercises, while the control group practiced cheek bulging exercises. The exercise intervention is 12 weeks of exercise begins, with each session 30 minutes.

The evaluation items include basic information, outcomes collected through a Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) was used to measure tongue strength, tongue endurance, tongue endurance time, saliva swallowing pressure, effortful saliva swallowing pressure, and Aspiration assessment. The measurement times are as follows: T0 (Baseline), T1 (Week 4, Mid-Intervention), T2 (Immediate Post-Test after the 12-Week Intervention), and T3 (Follow-Up after the 12-Week Intervention).

Before conducting the study, all participants received a complete explanation of the purpose, risks, and procedures of the investigation, and provided written informed consent. Procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the committee on human experimentation at the institution where the work was conducted, and this study was approved by the Institutional Review Board.

Enrollment: 46 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Mild cognitive impairment in older adults aged ≥65 years
• Frailty assessment: at least 1 point

Exclusion criteria

• Having aspiration pneumonia
• Tracheotomy is retained

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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46 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Tongue Resistance Exercises

Experimental group

Description:

TRTP involved movements of the tongue's anterior, middle, posterior, and lateral parts, targeting the intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles and the soft palate.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Tongue resistance exercises

cheek bulging exercises

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Cheek bulging exercises involved closing the lips, bulging the right cheek, relaxing and returning to the initial position, bulging the left cheek, relaxing and returning to the initial position, and finally bulging both cheeks simultaneously.

Treatment:

Behavioral: cheek bulging exercises