Tongue Strength and Endurance in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: Association with Swallowing, Oral Phase Efficiency, Meal, Diet Type and Malnutrition Risk.
Francesco Mozzanica, Nicole Pizzorni, Daniela Ginocchio and 7 others
PMID 41182362WHAT IT FOUND
In patients with Parkinson's disease, lower tongue strength and endurance were linked to slower chewing, less safe meals, restricted diets, and higher malnutrition risk.
These tongue measures were not associated with aspiration on instrumental swallow tests.
Key findings
01Tongue strength and endurance were significantly associated with meal safety and efficiency, oral phase efficiency, diet type, and malnutrition risk, but had minimal effect on FEES parameters.
02Lower tongue strength was associated with longer meal times and more masticatory cycles, while lower endurance was associated with more masticatory cycles and restricted diet levels.
03Tongue strength and endurance did not differ significantly between males and females or across different stages of Parkinson's disease.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (33 patients) and did not reach the targeted calculation of 47, limiting statistical power. The cohort was predominantly male (75%) and elderly (75% aged 70+), which may limit generalizability. The study used univariate analysis only due to sample size, so it cannot rule out confounding effects between variables. Dental status (number of teeth, prostheses) was not investigated, despite its known impact on mastication and tongue function. The MNA is a screening tool for malnutrition risk, not a diagnostic tool for malnutrition.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lack of association between tongue strength and aspiration on FEES as evidence that tongue weakness is safe. The study found high rates of aspiration (71.4% with liquids) and significant associations with meal efficiency and nutritional risk, indicating that tongue weakness impacts functional eating and health even if it does not predict endoscopic penetration/aspiration scores.
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