title: Tongue-controlled computer game: a new approach for rehabilitation of tongue motor function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of tongue disability, age, and sex on motor performance for a tongue-training paradigm involving playing a computer game using the Tongue Drive System (TDS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two controlled observational studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A neurorehabilitation center and a dental school.
  
  
  METHODS
  In study 1, tongue-disabled patients with symptoms of dysphagia and dysarthria (n=11) and age- and sex-matched controls (n=11) participated in tongue training. In study 2, healthy elderly persons (n=16) and healthy young persons (n=16) volunteered.
  
  
  METHODS
  In study 1 and study 2, the tongue training lasted 30 and 40 minutes, respectively. Participants were instructed to play a computer game with the tongue using TDS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Motor performance was compared between groups in both studies. Correlation analyses were performed between age and relative improvement in performance. Subject-based reports of motivation, fun, pain, and fatigue evaluated on 0-to-10 numeric rating scales were compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In study 1, tongue-disabled patients performed poorer than healthy controls (P=.005) and with a trend of a sex difference (P=.046). In study 2, healthy young participants performed better than healthy elderly participants (P<.001), but there was no effect of sex (P=.140). There was a significant negative correlation between age and relative improvement in performance (δ=-.450; P=.009). There were no significant differences in subject-based reports of motivation, fun, pain, and fatigue between groups in any of the studies (P>.094).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study provides evidence that tongue disability and age can influence behavioral measures of tongue motor performance. TDS may be a new adjunctive neurorehabilitation regimen in treating tongue-disabled patients.
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Oral Physiology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark. Electronic address: mohit.kothari@odontologi.au.dk.
authors.forename: Mohit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kothari
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Oral Physiology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark; MINDLab, Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Svensson
authors.affiliation: Hammel Neurorehabilitation and Research Centre, Hammel, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Oral Physiology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Trine Davidsen
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Holm
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Oral Physiology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Mathilde Skorstengaard
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Oral Physiology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Trine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mosegaard
authors.affiliation: Hammel Neurorehabilitation and Research Centre, Hammel, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jørgen Feldbæk
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: GT-Bionics Lab, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.
authors.forename: Maysam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ghovanloo
authors.affiliation: Section of Clinical Oral Physiology, Department of Dentistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baad-Hansen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012737:Sex Factors; D014060:Tongue Diseases / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D018910:Video Games; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aging; Performance; Rehabilitation; Tongue Drive System; Tongue disability; Tongue training