2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Comprehensive analysis of the stereognostic ability of the tongue aiming at evaluation of oropharyngeal function in the elderly

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	18K10732
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Review Section	Basic Section 59010:Rehabilitation science-related
Research Institution	Kyushu Women's University
Principal Investigator	Masuda Wataru 九州女子大学, 家政学部, 准教授 (80295865)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	河岸重則九州歯科大学, 歯学部, 名誉教授 (20137334) 濱嵜朋子九州女子大学, 家政学部, 教授 (60316156) 崎山栄子九州女子大学, 家政学部, 准教授 (50794963)
Project Period (FY)	2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
Keywords	舌立体認知能 / テストピース / 摂食嚥下機能評価
Outline of Final Research Achievements	In recent years, it has been required to establish an accurate diagnosis / evaluation method for swallowing function. We are conducting research aiming at clinical application of " the stereognostic ability of the tongue " as one of the new diagnostic methods for evaluating swallowing function. In this study, we reconsidered the evaluation method of the stereognostic ability of the tongue by the test piece (TP) used so far, and analyzed how this method is affected by taste and touch. As a result, since the score of the stereognostic ability of the tongue used so far were hardly affected by taste and touch, it was suggested that the our assessment using tasteless plastic TP could be used as one of the evaluation methods for the preparatory to oral period in swallowing.
Free Research Field	生化学・解剖生理学　摂食嚥下リハビリテーション学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	摂食・嚥下の口腔相における咀嚼と食塊の形成には、舌運動以前に、口腔内の食物の形、大きさ、固さなどを、舌とその周辺部位で認知される過程が必要であるにもかかわらず、これまで評価されてこなかった。我々はこの過程を口腔内に含んだ6種類のプラスチック小片の形状を舌背上で判別するという方法での評価を試みてきた。今回の研究結果から、本法が味覚や触覚に影響を受けることなく、簡便・安価・短時間で行うことができるだけでなく、その結果が客観的かつ定量的に得られるということが確認できた。このことは摂食嚥下障害者が事故なく「口から食べる」ことで、日本が目指す「健康長寿」の一助となると考える。