title: Tongue strength is associated with jumping mechanography performance and handgrip strength but not with classic functional tests in older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether classic muscle function tests and jumping mechanography (JM) are related to tongue strength.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-seven community-dwelling individuals aged 70 and older (49 female, 48 male, mean age 80.7, range 70-95) with and without identified sarcopenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants performed muscle function tests including the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), grip strength, and JM. Isometric tongue strength was evaluated using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI). JM consisted of maximal countermovement jumps performed on a force plate to calculate weight-corrected peak power and jump height. Total body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess appendicular lean mass (ALM) to define sarcopenia based on commonly used ALM/height(2) cutoffs. Associations between IOPI measures and other muscle function tests were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sarcopenia was present in 23.7% (23/97) of this cohort. Anterior isometric tongue pressure was positively correlated with grip strength (P = .003), jump height (P = .01), and power (P = .04). Individuals in the lowest tertile of tongue pressure had lower scores on these muscle function tests than individuals in the other tertiles. Classic functional tests and ALM/height(2) were unrelated to tongue strength.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In older adults with and without sarcopenia, isometric tongue pressure is positively correlated with grip strength and jump height and power. These data support consideration of oropharyngeal functional decline as part of the sarcopenia syndrome.
authors: Osteoporosis Clinical Research Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA. bbuehring@medicine.wisc.edu
authors: Bjoern
authors: B
authors: Buehring
authors: Jacqueline
authors: J
authors: Hind
authors: Ellen
authors: E
authors: Fidler
authors: Diane
authors: D
authors: Krueger
authors: Neil
authors: N
authors: Binkley
authors: JoAnne
authors: J
authors: Robbins
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D053580:Muscle Strength; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014059:Tongue