Relationship between mild cognitive impairment and oral function

• Project/Area Number: 18K09654
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57050:Prosthodontics-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: Ohwada Gaku 東京医科歯科大学, 歯学部, 非常勤講師 (70806421)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 古屋 純一 昭和大学, 歯学部, 講師 (10419715) ; 水口 俊介 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 教授 (30219688) ; 小野 卓史 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 教授 (30221857) ; 鈴木 啓之 東京医科歯科大学, 歯学部附属病院, 特任助教 (80801539)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,290,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥990,000); Fiscal Year 2020: ¥780,000 (Direct Cost: ¥600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥180,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
• Keywords: 認知症 / MCI / 口腔機能 / 口腔衛生 / 歯科受診行動 / 認知機能 / 咀嚼

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The patients with mild cognitive impairment, which has been recognized as a stage preceding dementia, have poor oral environment and function. However, the actual oral environment and function of MCI patients who were diagnosed by the dementia specialist through comprehensive evaluation had not clarified yet.
Therefore, we conducted cross-sectional study to evaluate the oral health of the patients who were diagnosed with MCI by the dementia specialist. The results of this study revealed that MCI patients had poorer oral hygiene status and lower maximum occlusal force than healthy subjects. Moreover, the necessity of dental intervention in MCI patients was higher than healthy subjects, but the regular dental visit in MCI patients was less than healthy subject.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高齢者人口の世界的な増加に伴い，我が国おいても認知症を有する高齢者の割合が増加傾向にあることから，認知症高齢者の口腔健康管理は歯科における重要な課題であるといえるが，認知症が進行した状態で積極的な歯科治療を実施することは困難である場合が多く，MCIの段階から適切な口腔管理が重要である．本研究の成果によりMCI患者は口腔環境・機能が低下している傾向にあり歯科受診が必要なものの，実際に受診している患者が少ないことが明らかとなった．このことから，MCIの段階から，歯科受診を積極的に勧奨していくことにより適切な口腔管理を実施することは重要であり，認知症の早期発見・予防にも繋がる可能性が示唆された．

Research Products

• [Presentation] 軽度認知機能障害（MCI）患者の口腔環境および口腔機能． (2020)
  • Author(s): 鈴木啓之，古屋純一，松原ちあき，山崎康弘，日髙玲奈，吉見佳那子，戸原玄，水口俊介．
  • Organizer: 日本補綴歯科学会第129回学術大会
• [Presentation] The features of oral health status and functions in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients. (2020)
  • Author(s): Hiroyuki Suzuki, Junichi Furuya, Chiaki Matsubara, Rena Hidaka, Haruka Tohara, Shunsuke Minakuchi.
  • Organizer: 30th Annual congress of European College of Gerodontology
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 軽度認知障害患者を対象とした口腔衛生状態と歯科保健行動に関する実態調査． (2020)
  • Author(s): 宮島沙紀，古屋純一，鈴木啓之，松原ちあき，山崎康弘，日髙玲奈，山口浩平，原 豪志，戸原玄，水口俊介．
  • Organizer: 第31回日本老年歯科医学会学術大会
• [Presentation] 医科歯科連携による軽度認知機能障害（MCI）患者の口腔機能の解明. (2019)
  • Author(s): 鈴木啓之，古屋純一，松原ちあき，鍵福祐子，戸原玄，水口俊介.
  • Organizer: 第30回日本老年歯科医学会学術大会
• [Presentation] Investigation of oral health status and function in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients -An interim report of cross sectional study-. (2019)
  • Author(s): Hiroyuki Suzuki, Junichi Furuya, Chiaki Matubara, Yuko Kagifuku, Haruka Tohara, Shunsuke Minakuchi.
  • Organizer: The 1st TAGD-JSG Gerodontology Summit
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Approaches of investigating oral function in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients. (2018)
  • Author(s): Hiroyuki Suzuki, Junichi Furuya, Chiaki Matsubara, Yuuko Kagihuku, Takashi Ono, Chihiro Akazawa, Takashi Asada, Shunsuke Minakuchi.
  • Organizer: The 6th Tri-University Consortium
  • Int'l Joint Research