Ann Rehabil Med.  2016 Jun;40(3):447-456. 10.5535/arm.2016.40.3.447.

EMG Activity of Masseter Muscles in the Elderly According to Rheological Properties of Solid Food

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. donkim21@cau.ac.kr
  • 2Department of Food Science & Technology, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract


OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of aging on masticatory muscle function according to changes in hardness of solid food.
METHODS
Each of fifteen healthy elderly and young people were selected. Subjects were asked to consume cooked rice, which was processed using the guidelines of the Universal Design Foods concept for elderly people (Japan Care Food Conference 2012). The properties of each cooked rice were categorized as grade 1, 2, 3 and 4 (5×10³, 2×10⁴, 5×10⁴, and 5×10⁵ N/m²) respectively. Surface electromyography (sEMG) was used to measure masseter activity from food ingestion to swallowing of test foods. The raw data was normalized by the ratio of sEMG activity to maximal voluntary contraction and compared among subjects. The data was divided according to each sequence of mastication and then calculated within the parameters of EMG activities.
RESULTS
Intraoral tongue pressure was significantly higher in the young than in the elderly (p<0.05). Maximal value of average amplitude of the sequence in whole mastication showed significant positive correlation with hardness of food in both young and elderly groups (p<0.05). In a comparisons between groups, the maximal value of average amplitude of the sequence in whole mastication and peak amplitude in whole mastication showed that mastication in the elderly requires a higher percentage of maximal muscle activity than in the young, even with soft foods (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
sEMG data of the masseter can provide valuable information to aid in the selection of foods according to hardness for the elderly. The results also support the necessity of specialized food preparation or products for the elderly.

Keyword

Mastication; Deglutition disorders; Aged persons; Food hardness; Surface electromyography

MeSH Terms

Aged*
Aging
Deglutition
Deglutition Disorders
Eating
Electromyography
Foods, Specialized
Hardness
Humans
Masseter Muscle*
Mastication
Masticatory Muscles
Tongue

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Test food samples according to the Universal Design Foods guidelines.

  • Fig. 2 Examples of surface electromyography activity according to hardness changes of test foods.

  • Fig. 3 Simplified diagrams of surface electromyography (sEMG)-analyzing parameters. 'A' mean of average EMG activity of each sequence, 'B' maximal average amplitude of the sequence in whole mastication, 'C' mean of peak amplitude of each sequence, 'D' peak amplitude in whole mastication, and 'E' integral activity of amplitude during whole mastication.


Reference

1. Choi SJ. The family and ageing in Korea: a new concern and challenge. Ageing Soc. 1996; 16:1–25.
Article
2. Locker D, Slade G. the oral health impact profile. J Can Dent Assoc. 1993; 59:830–833. 837–838. 844PMID: 8221283.
3. Miura H, Miura K, Mizugai H, Arai Y, Umenai T, Isogai E. Chewing ability and quality of life among the elderly residing in a rural community in Japan. J Oral Rehabil. 2000; 27:731–734. PMID: 10931271.
Article
4. Ikebe K, Hazeyama T, Morii K, Matsuda K, Maeda Y, Nokubi T. Impact of masticatory performance on oral health-related quality of life for elderly Japanese. Int J Prosthodont. 2007; 20:478–485. PMID: 17944335.
5. Martin BJ, Corlew MM, Wood H, Olson D, Golopol LA, Wingo M, et al. The association of swallowing dysfunction and aspiration pneumonia. Dysphagia. 1994; 9:1–6. PMID: 8131418.
Article
6. Mioche L, Bourdiol P, Peyron MA. Influence of age on mastication: effects on eating behaviour. Nutr Res Rev. 2004; 17:43–54. PMID: 19079914.
Article
7. Peyron MA, Mishellany A, Woda A. Particle size distribution of food boluses after mastication of six natural foods. J Dent Res. 2004; 83:578–582. PMID: 15218050.
Article
8. Mowlana F, Heath MR, Van der Bilt A, Van der Glas HW. Assessment of chewing efficiency: a comparison of particle size distribution determined using optical scanning and sieving of almonds. J Oral Rehabil. 1994; 21:545–551. PMID: 7996338.
Article
9. Lucas PW, Luke DA, Voon FC, Chew CL, Ow R. Food breakdown patterns produced by human subjects possessing artificial and natural teeth. J Oral Rehabil. 1986; 13:205–214. PMID: 3458889.
Article
10. Ishikawa Y, Watanabe I, Hayakawa I, Minakuchi S, Uchida T. Evaluations of masticatory performance of complete denture wearers using color-changeable chewing gum and other evaluating methods. J Med Dent Sci. 2007; 54:65–70. PMID: 19845137.
11. Tanimoto Y, Watanabe M, Kono R, Hirota C, Takasaki K, Kono K. Utility of color-changeable chewing gum to evaluate masticatory ability in communitydwelling elderly persons. Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi. 2009; 56:383–390. PMID: 19663266.
12. Ferrario VF, Sforza C, Zanotti G, Tartaglia GM. Maximal bite forces in healthy young adults as predicted by surface electromyography. J Dent. 2004; 32:451–457. PMID: 15240063.
Article
13. Ferrario VF, Sforza C, Colombo A, Ciusa V. An electromyographic investigation of masticatory muscles symmetry in normo-occlusion subjects. J Oral Rehabil. 2000; 27:33–40. PMID: 10632841.
Article
14. Kohyama K, Mioche L. Chewing behavior observed at different stages of mastication for six foods, studied by electromyography and jaw kinematics in young and elderly subjects. J Texture Stud. 2004; 35:395–414.
Article
15. Kohyama K, Mioche L, Martin JF. Chewing patterns of various texture foods studied by electromyography in young and elderly populations. J Texture Stud. 2002; 33:269–283.
Article
16. Peyron MA, Blanc O, Lund JP, Woda A. Influence of age on adaptability of human mastication. J Neurophysiol. 2004; 92:773–779. PMID: 15277595.
Article
17. Lehman GJ, McGill SM. The importance of normalization in the interpretation of surface electromyography: a proof of principle. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1999; 22:444–446. PMID: 10519560.
Article
18. Yang JF, Winter DA. Electromyographic amplitude normalization methods: improving their sensitivity as diagnostic tools in gait analysis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1984; 65:517–521. PMID: 6477083.
19. Ekstrom RA, Soderberg GL, Donatelli RA. Normalization procedures using maximum voluntary isometric contractions for the serratus anterior and trapezius muscles during surface EMG analysis. J Electromyogr Kinesiol. 2005; 15:418–428. PMID: 15811612.
Article
20. Kohyama K, Yamaguchi M, Kobori C, Nakayama Y, Hayakawa F, Sasaki T. Mastication effort estimated by electromyography for cooked rice of differing water content. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2005; 69:1669–1676. PMID: 16195583.
Article
21. Feldman RS, Kapur KK, Alman JE, Chauncey HH. Aging and mastication: changes in performance and in the swallowing threshold with natural dentition. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1980; 28:97–103. PMID: 7354209.
Article
22. Ono T, Iwata H, Hori K, Tamine K, Kondoh J, Hamanaka S, et al. Evaluation of tongue-, jaw-, and swallowing-related muscle coordination during voluntarily triggered swallowing. Int J Prosthodont. 2009; 22:493–498. PMID: 20095201.
23. Hori K, Ono T, Nokubi T. Coordination of tongue pressure and jaw movement in mastication. J Dent Res. 2006; 85:187–191. PMID: 16434740.
Article
24. Clark HM, Henson PA, Barber WD, Stierwalt JA, Sherrill M. Relationships among subjective and objective measures of tongue strength and oral phase swallowing impairments. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2003; 12:40–50. PMID: 12680812.
Article
Full Text Links
  • ARM
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr