Tongue strength is associated with jumping mechanography performance and handgrip strength but not with classic functional tests in older adults

Abstract

Objectives: To determine whether classic muscle function tests and jumping mechanography (JM) are related to tongue strength.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Community.

Participants: 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.

Measurements: 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.

Conclusion: 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.