The effect of age, of gender and of swallow pattern on isometric tongue pressures in healthy adults

Lingual pressure generation is integral to achieving an efficient oropharyngeal swallow (Hirota et al 2010; Konaka et al 2010; Van den Engel-Hoek et al 2013) and is thus typically evaluated as part of a comprehensive oro-motor assessment. Subjective assessment methods are commonly used by speech and language therapists to determine if an individual is presenting with reduced isometric (‘against’) tongue pressures (ITPs), recognised risk factors for dysphagia (Nicosia et al 2000; Robbins et al 1995). Despite the widespread use of such methods, they do not provide an optimal means of assessing ITPs (Adams et al 2013). Oral manometry tools provide a solution. One such tool – OroPress - was designed to provide clinicians with an objective means of assessing ITPs. However, before this tool can be used to differentially diagnose reduced versus normal ITPs a large norm data set of ITPs must be established.