Longitudinal study of factors affecting salivary Substance P decline in independent elderly people

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17304
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57080:Social dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Matsumoto Dental University (2019-2020); Aichi Gakuin University (2018)
• Principal Investigator: Dewake Nanae 松本歯科大学, 歯学部, 助教 (40747268)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 自立高齢者 / Substance P / 嚥下機能 / 骨格筋量

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recently, research has been conducted on how oral function and swallowing function of the elderly people affect general health. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between swallowing function and number of present teeth, occlusal state, and skeletal muscle index in the elderly people living in the community. The number of elderly people who participated in the long-term care prevention project was 236 (88 men: average age 75.9 ± 7.4 years, 148 women: 77.6 ± 6.5 years).
This result suggests that loss of occlusal support in the molar may be associated with decreased swallowing function in community-dwelling elderly women. In addition, it may suggests that the independent elderly maintain a constant Substance P.

Free Research Field

高齢者歯科疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、口腔機能、Substance P（SP)を用いた嚥下機能の評価および全身およびとの関連について明らかにすることで、高齢者の唾液中SP濃度計測による簡便な嚥下機能評価について検討した。自立高齢者において、SP値と反復唾液嚥下テストの関連については有意な傾向を示した。また、自立高齢者は入院患者や要介護者と比較し、一定のSP値を維持している可能性があり、今後は対象に自立高齢者以外に要介護状態の高齢者を加え比較し検討を続けていく必要がある。