TONGUE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE IN DIFFERENT AGED INDIVIDUALS

Background. It is generally accepted that age-related changes occur in voluntary muscle. Studies of hand grip strength and aging demonstrate a decrease in strength with age; however, there are little data regar ding tongue function. The purpose of this study was to determine the r elationship of increased age to tongue strength and endurance. Methods . A pressure transducer, the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument, was use d to measure maximal strength and endurance of both the hand and tongu e. Ninety-nine healthy volunteers from the oral physiology component o f the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging were divided into four age groups, ranging from 21 to 96 years of age. A multivariate analysis o f variance was used to determine differences in strength and endurance between age groups and genders. Regression analysis was done to deter mine the relationship of strength and endurance with age. Results. Gen der analysis indicated that both tongue and hand strength were greater in males; however, tongue and hand endurance demonstrated no gender d ifferences. The strength in both the tongue and hand decreased with ag e. Individuals over the age of 79 years showed statistically decreased tongue strength, and individuals over the age of 59 years showed stat istically decreased hand strength. There was no significant change in the tongue and hand endurance with age. Conclusions. The results of th is study suggest that tongue function is gender- and age-dependent and follows the same trends as hand function. Tongue strength is decrease d in older individuals and females, while tongue endurance is gender- and age-independent.