Quantitative assessment of lingual strength in late-onset Pompe disease.
BACKGROUND
Skeletal muscle is common in late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD). Recent data implicate common bulbar muscle involvement (i.e., the tongue).


METHODS
We used quantitative assessment of lingual strength to retrospectively determine the frequency and severity of lingual weakness in LOPD. We additionally examined associations between lingual strength and the presence or absence of dysarthria, and dysarthria severity.


RESULTS
Quantitative assessment revealed lingual weakness to be present in 80% of the sample. In the 24 affected patients, severity was mild in 29%, moderate in 29%, and severe in 42%. Patients with clinical dysarthria had greater lingual weakness than those without. As dysarthria severity increased, lingual strength decreased by an average of 6.82 kPa.


CONCLUSIONS
These quantitative data provide additional evidence for presence of bulbar muscle disease in patients with LOPD. Further study is necessary to determine functional effects, temporal progression, and effects of treatment.
Department of Surgery, Division of Speech Pathology & Audiology, 155 Baker House, Trent Drive, DUMC 3887, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Harrison N
HN
Jones
Kelly D
KD
Crisp
Priyanka
P
Asrani
Richard
R
Sloane
Priya S
PS
Kishnani
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004401:Dysarthria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006009:Glycogen Storage Disease Type II / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014059:Tongue / Q000503:physiopathology*
Pompe disease; adult glycogen storage disease type II; glycogen storage disease type II; muscle weakness; pressure: quantitative muscle testing; tongue; transducer