title: Tongue forces and handgrip strength in normal individuals: association with swallowing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and correlate tongue force and grip strength measures and to verify the association of these measures with water swallowing in different age groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tongue force was evaluated using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument and grip strength using the Hand Grip in 90 normal individuals, who were divided into three groups: young (18-39 years old), adult (40-59 years old) and elderly (above 60 years old) individuals. The time and number of swallows required for the continuous ingestion of 200 ml of water were also measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A reduction in tongue force and grip strength, as well as an increase in the time required to drink 200 ml of water, were observed with increasing participant age. There was no difference in the number of swallows among the three groups. A correlation was observed between reductions in tongue force and grip strength in the groups of young and elderly individuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were differences in the measures of tongue force in young, adult and elderly individuals. Greater variations within these differences were observed when repeated movements were performed; in addition, a decrease in strength was associated with an increase in age. The decrease in tongue force among the elderly was offset by the increase in time needed to swallow the liquid. There was an association between the measures of tongue force and grip strength in the different age groups. The results of this study can be applied clinically and may act as a basis for guidelines in healthy or vulnerable elderly populations.
authors: Curso de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Reabilitação, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Amanda Elias
authors: AE
authors: Mendes
authors: Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, Divisão de Fisioterapia, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Liz
authors: L
authors: Nascimento
authors: Curso de Fonoaudiologia, Fonoaudiologia e Terapia Ocupacional, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Letícia Lessa
authors: LL
authors: Mansur
authors: Divisão de Neurologia, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Dagoberto
authors: D
authors: Callegaro
authors: Divisão de Geriatria, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Wilson
authors: W
authors: Jacob Filho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D004326:Drinking / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors; D014059:Tongue / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult