Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY
Volume 43, Issue 5, Pages 523-530Publisher
CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijom.2013.10.023
Keywords
tongue strength; exercise; swallowing; chemoradiation; quality of life
Categories
Funding
- NIH/NIDCD [5 R03 DC007497-02]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Tongue strength is reduced in patients treated with chemoradiotherapy for oral/oropharyngeal cancer. Tongue strengthening protocols have resulted in improved lingual strength and swallowing in healthy individuals, as well as in patients following a neurological event. However, no studies have examined the efficacy of tongue strengthening exercises on tongue strength, swallowing, and quality of life (QOL; Head and Neck Cancer Inventory) in patients treated with chemoradiotherapy. A randomized clinical trial examined the effects of a tongue strengthening programme paired with traditional exercises vs. traditional exercises alone. Dependent variables included tongue strength, swallowing, and QOL in a group of patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer treated with primary radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. Differences with regard to tongue strength and oropharyngeal swallow efficiency (OPSE) were not observed within or between groups. QOL in the eating and speech domains improved following treatment in both groups. However, the experimental group demonstrated greater impairment in QOL in the social disruption domain following treatment, whereas the control group demonstrated a slight improvement in functioning. Tongue strengthening did not yield a statistically significant improvement in either tongue strength or swallowing measures in this patient cohort. Patient compliance and treatment timing may be factors underlying these outcomes.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available