Comparison of surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of submental muscles between the head lift and tongue press exercises as a therapeutic exercise for pharyngeal dysphagia.
OBJECTIVE
The present study compared surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity obtained from the submental muscle group for a tongue press and a head lift exercise as potential therapeutic exercises for dysphagic elderly.


METHODS
Fifty-three healthy volunteers with a mean age of 35.3 participated in this study. Subjects were required to perform an isometric task, pressing their tongue against the hard palate, and an isotonic task requiring sustained lingual force against the hard palate. Pressure sensors were used to measure the amount of lingual pressure against the hard palate. Submental sEMG data from these tasks were compared with those obtained from the isometric and isotonic aspects of a head lift exercise.


RESULTS
No sEMG differences were identified between the isometric tongue press task and head lift exercise. Isotonic tongue press exercises resulted in significantly higher maximum and mean sEMG values compared with the isotonic head lift exercise (p < 0.05). The submental sEMG activity from the tongue press exercise was equal (isometric) to, or greater (isotonic) than comparable muscle activation obtained during the head lift exercise.


CONCLUSIONS
The tongue press exercise may be less strenuous than the head lift exercise while achieving the same therapeutic effect.
Yoshida
Mitsuyoshi
M
Department of Advanced Prosthodontics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan. mitsu@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Groher
Michael E
ME
Crary
Michael A
MA
Mann
Giselle Carnaby
GC
Akagawa
Yasumasa
Y
D000328:Adult; D002680:Chin; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000628:therapy*; D004576:Electromyography; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D014059:Tongue / Q000502:physiology*