ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Alteration in tongue mobility requires rehabilitation work through oral motor exercises. These exercises can be integrated with computer games to increase the patient's motivation during treatment. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of tongue mobility on children's motor performance in a computer game reliant on lingual movements. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was carried out with 16 children with altered tongue mobility and 16 children with normal tongue mobility. The subjects were between 8 and 12 years of age. They underwent a clinical evaluation of the tongue and performed an activity using an intra-oral joystick controlled by the tongue to play a simple computer game. The game consisted of targets appearing on the screen that the participants had to reach by moving the joystick control rod. Afterward, the participants answered a feedback questionnaire. Motor performance in the game, measured by the number of reached targets and by the time to reach the targets, was compared between groups and across directions of tongue movement and order of appearance of the targets. RESULTS: The group with altered tongue mobility presented a higher time to reach the target in the downward direction and in the first and last 12 targets and a lower number of targets reached in the left direction, upward direction, and in the first 12 targets than the control group. The direction of the movement influenced tongue performance in both groups. CONCLUSION: Children with altered tongue mobility exhibited a worse performance than those with normal tongue mobility.
Subject(s)
Video Games , Child , Cross-Sectional Studies , Exercise , Exercise Therapy , Humans , TongueABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to quantify tongue protrusion force and compare its characteristics between participants with severely weak tongues and those with normal lingual strength. The sample consisted of 11 participants with severe lingual strength deficits and 11 age- and sex-matched participants with normal lingual strength. Tongue force was evaluated quantitatively using the Forling instrument, and the average force, maximum force, average force application rate, and area under the graphic curve were analysed. These parameters were compared between the groups. In the participants with severely weak tongues, the average and the maximum forces in N (Newton) were 2.03 ± 1.17 and 3.56 ± 1.77, respectively. The average force application rate in N/s (Newton per second) was 1.25 and the area under the graphic curve in Ns (Newton times second) was 18.6. The values of the participants with normal lingual strength were, respectively, 13.27 ± 6.15 N, 18.91 ± 7.95 N, 10.46 N/s, and 108.08 Ns. All parameters analysed differed significantly between the groups. The data collected could aid speech-language pathologists in diagnosing problems related to tongue force.
Subject(s)
Muscle Strength/physiology , Tongue/physiopathology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young AdultABSTRACT
Introdução: O RESET é um método simples e não invasivo de relaxamento dos músculos da mandíbula constituído de 15 etapas de energização de determinadas partes do corpo. Sua aplicação é indicada para indivíduos portadores de disfunção temporomandibular. Objetivo: Verificar os efeitos do RESET nas estruturas e funções do sistema estomatognático; nos sinais e sintomas de disfunção temporomandibular, além de investigar a manutenção dos resultados sem a aplicação continuada da técnica. Material e método: Estudo de quatro casos de adultos com diagnóstico de disfunção temporomandibular. Os participantes foram submetidos à avaliação fonoaudiológica e 10 sessões de RESET. Após cinco sessões, os participantes responderam um questionário de acompangamento. Ao completar 10 sessões, realizou-se reavaliação. Decorridos 60 dias, submeteram-se a nova reavaliação para verificação da manutenção dos resultados. Os resultados foram analisados de forma descritiva. Resultado: observou-se aumento dos movimentos de abertura, protrusão e lateralização mandibular; redução dos ruídos articulares; adequação da tensão de masseter, com diminuição da dor neste músculo; redução do hábito de apertamento dentário, além da sensação de relaxamento geral. Alguns resultados foram mantidos por até dois meses sem a aplicação da técnica, especialmente o aumento da abertura máxima de boca, a diminuição da dor com conseqüente melhora das dificuldades causadas por esta e a sensação de relaxamento geral. Conclusões: Existem indícios de que o RESET seja uma terapia complementar eficaz no tratamento de disfunção temporomandibular podendo ser utilizado como técnica de relaxamento associada à terapia fonoaudiológica.
