To approach the issue of the discrepancy between form and function in the eldery in terms of sarcopenia of the masticatory muscles.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K09674
• 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: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Ohi Takashi 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 非常勤講師 (10396450)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 遠藤 耕生 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 大学院非常勤講師 (30756292) ; 服部 佳功 東北大学, 歯学研究科, 教授 (40238035)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 口腔機能 / 咀嚼筋 / サルコぺニア / 高齢者 / 口腔保健 / コホート研究

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To test the hypothesis that the existence of sarcopenia of masticatory muscles may be behind the "discrepancy between form and function" in elderly people who cannot fully exercise masticatory function despite having 20 or more teeth, 253 general local residents aged 55 or older were surveyed.
The results showed that among 138 people who had more than 20 teeth, 5 had decreased masticatory function, and 3 of them had "discrepancy between form and function" with sarcopenia of masticatory muscles. One of the reasons for the low frequency of "discrepancy between form and function" was that the subjects were relatively young. Another reason may be that the sample size was not large enough. In the future, it will be necessary to further expand the cohort and pursue the "discrepancy between form and function" in the elderly.

Free Research Field

高齢者歯科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の結果、20歯以上を有しているにも関わらず十分な咀嚼機能を発揮できない『形態と機能の乖離』のある者は、比較的若い高齢者には少ないことが明らかになった。今後更にコホートを拡大し、高齢者の咀嚼筋サルコペニアと『形態と機能の乖離』との関連が明らかとなれば、歯科治療の需要が形態回復に主眼を置いた「健常者型」から機能回復に主眼を置いた「高齢者型」にシフトすると予測される本邦の現状に即した口腔保健への提言が可能となると考えられる。