การพัฒนาเครื่องมือวัดความแข็งแรงและความทนทานในการทำงานของลิ้น

Abstract

Tongue is an organ located in the oral cavity that is important to speech production and swallowing function. Safe and efficient swallowing relies on adequate tongue strength and endurance. Subsequently, abnormal tongue strength and endurance can lead to impaired swallowing. Therefore, tongue strength and endurance assessments are essential in planning swallowing rehabilitation for individual with swallowing difficulties due to tongue structure and function abnormalities. The tongue function assessment is divided to two types: subjective measurement, which involves the observation of tongue movement capabilities, and objective measurement, which uses standardized devices to quantify tongue strength and endurance numerically, allowing for repeatable measurement. In Thailand, assessing tongue strength and endurance by using standardized devices is not widespread in clinical practice due to the high cost of importing these instruments. Recognizing this issue, the researcher saw an opportunity to develop a new tongue strength and endurance measurement device. The purpose of this study was to develop a precise, accurate, and reliable tongue measurement device for clinical assessment of tongue strength and endurance and to investigate the impact of gender and age on these parameters in a healthy adult population aged 20-79 years. The study included 102 subjects, with 6 subjects in the pilot group and 96 subjects in the data collection group. As a result of development, a novel device for measuring tongue strength and endurance has been attained which measures tongue strength in units of Newtons (N) and Kilopascals (kPa) for strength, and seconds (s) for endurance. This developed device has lower cost for development compared to imported commercially devices while maintaining performance standards, demonstrated by 96.40-100.00% accuracy, high precision (0.90-4.21% CV), and strong repeatability (ICC 0.78-0.93). After the device has been quality-checked and adjusted based on feedback during the trial period, it is then utilized to study the tongue strength and endurance in healthy adults. The study found that gender did not significantly impact tongue strength and endurance across all age groups. However, age was observed to affect these parameters, with decreasing tongue strength and endurance as age increased, except for the endurance at the tongue tip, which remained similar across all ages. In conclusion, the developed tongue strength and endurance measurement device through this study is suitable for objective clinical assessment of tongue strength and endurance. These findings provide valuable reference data for Thai people in evaluating and planning rehabilitation for the elderly and individuals with tongue-related disorders.