Teratment strategy for elderly patients with dry mouth focussed on minor salivary gland, and Influence of Great East Japan Earthquake on dry mouth

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24590780
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Public health/Health science
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Satoh Shizuko 東北大学, 歯学研究科(研究院), 助教 (60225274)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SHOJI NORIAKI 東北大学, 大学病院, 講師 (70250800) ; SASANO TAKASHI 東北大学, 大学院歯学研究科, 教授 (10125560)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 口腔乾燥症 / 小唾液腺分泌唾液 / 高齢者 / 震災ストレス / 東日本大震災 / 栄養不良

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To clarify that minor salivary gland flow rate (MF) seem to be as a key feature of xerostomia in the elderly, MF in the lower labial mucosa was compared in xerostomia and control subjects　using the iodine-starch filter paper method. Moreover, ｓtimulated whole salivary flow rates were also measured. As the ｒesults, Both labial-MF and stimulated-WF were significantly lower in xerostomia subjects than in controls. There was no correlation between labial-MF and stimulated-WF in xerostomia subjects. In xerostomia subjects compared to controls, there was a significantly larger reduction in labial-MF than in stimulated-WF. Though after 3 years the great east japn earth earthquake,in the elderly patients with xerostomia, psychological stress lasted and MF has still redused, whereas stimulates-WF has recovered to normal level. Moreover, in elderly patients with xerostomia, inadequate nutrition, appetite loss and poor health were significantly seen than in control without xerostomia.

Free Research Field

口腔診断学