TY - JOUR
T1 - Motor Imagery Practice and Increased Tongue Strength
T2 - A Case Series Feasibility Report
AU - Szynkiewicz, Sarah H.
AU - Nobriga, Christina V.
AU - O’donoghue, Cynthia R.
AU - Becerra, Benjamin J.
AU - La Forge, Garret
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/6
Y1 - 2019/6
N2 - Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the effects of a 6-week progressive resistance tongue exercise protocolin mental practice form on tongue strength. Investigationbegins in typically aging adults, a population susceptible toreduced tongue strength and dysphagia secondary to agerelatedchanges in the swallowing mechanism. It washypothesized that typically aging adults who perform a 6-weekprogressive resistance tongue exercise protocol in mentalpractice form would increase tongue strength. Method: A prospective, case series intervention study wasused. Six healthy women aged 53–78 years completed a6-week mental practice tongue resistance exercise programutilizing motor imagery to imagine completion of tongueexercises. The main outcome was mean isometric maximumtongue pressures (tongue strength), which were collectedat baseline and Weeks 2, 4, and 6 using the Iowa OralPerformance Instrument (IOPI Medical, 2013). Results: By Week 6 of the study, all participants hadsignificantly increased their tongue strength compared tobaseline. Conclusions: The findings indicate that mental practiceusing motor imagery for tongue exercise may improvetongue strength in healthy individuals at risk for dysphagiaand may thus represent a promising direction warrantingfurther investigation in typically aging individuals andpatients with dysphagia and decreased tongue strength.
AB - Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the effects of a 6-week progressive resistance tongue exercise protocolin mental practice form on tongue strength. Investigationbegins in typically aging adults, a population susceptible toreduced tongue strength and dysphagia secondary to agerelatedchanges in the swallowing mechanism. It washypothesized that typically aging adults who perform a 6-weekprogressive resistance tongue exercise protocol in mentalpractice form would increase tongue strength. Method: A prospective, case series intervention study wasused. Six healthy women aged 53–78 years completed a6-week mental practice tongue resistance exercise programutilizing motor imagery to imagine completion of tongueexercises. The main outcome was mean isometric maximumtongue pressures (tongue strength), which were collectedat baseline and Weeks 2, 4, and 6 using the Iowa OralPerformance Instrument (IOPI Medical, 2013). Results: By Week 6 of the study, all participants hadsignificantly increased their tongue strength compared tobaseline. Conclusions: The findings indicate that mental practiceusing motor imagery for tongue exercise may improvetongue strength in healthy individuals at risk for dysphagiaand may thus represent a promising direction warrantingfurther investigation in typically aging individuals andpatients with dysphagia and decreased tongue strength.
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U2 - 10.1044/2019_JSLHR-S-18-0128
DO - 10.1044/2019_JSLHR-S-18-0128
M3 - Article
C2 - 31112668
SN - 1092-4388
VL - 62
SP - 1676
EP - 1684
JO - Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
JF - Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research
IS - 6
ER -