Treatment of Dysphagic Patients with a Palatal Augmentation Prosthesis Based on a Tongue Movement Function Diagnosis Method by Palatography

• Published in: Nihon Hotetsu Shika Gakkai Zasshi Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 135 - 144
• Main Authors: Kiuchi, Nobutoshi, Ueda, Koichiro, Michimi, Noboru, Ikeda, Keisuke, Kohno, Shoji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan Prosthodontic Society 10.02.2003
• Subjects: dysphagia; palatal augmentation prosthesis; palatogram; videofluorography
• ISSN: 0389-5386; 1883-177X
• DOI: 10.2186/jjps.47.135

Purpose: Many dysphagic patients show impaired tongue movements. In such patients, we evaluated a diagnostic method for tongue motor function by a palatogram method and a videofluorography (VF) method, and designed a palatal augmentation prosthesis. Methods: The subjects were patients with dysarthria complicated by dysphagia in the preparatory and lingual phases, and normal controls without abnormalities in stomatognathic function. Palatograms were recorded during speech of “ta”, “na”, “ra”, and “ki”, as well as swallowing of saliva. In addition, using a VF apparatus, common findings between the tongue form during speech of the above 4 syllables, as well as dry swallowing, and that during eating/swallowing of barium cookies, were evaluated, to determine if tongue function diagnosis during eating/swallowing is possible by palatograms obtained during the former. Results: The tongue forms at the termination of the mastication of cookies, during food mass formation, and at the termination of food mass formation, closely resembled those during speech of “ta”, “na”, and “ra”, respectively. The tongue form at the termination of the swallowing of cookies closely resembled that during speech of “ki”, as well as during swallowing of saliva. Conclusions: Based on palatograms recorded during speech of the test syllables, and during swallowing of saliva, tongue function diagnosis during eating/swallowing was possible. In addition, a palatal augmentation prosthesis was produced based on tongue motor function diagnosed by this palatographic method for the patients. This prosthesis was useful for improving the ability to form food masses and swallowing function.