The Discourse on Measuring Frequency of Tongue Strength

Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) is an instrument used to measure tongue strength. The standard protocol of operating IOPI is three trials separated by 10-15 seconds of rest. The highest pressure of these three trials is recorded as the tongue strength. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference of three trials. Forty-one healthy adults were taken as research subjects. Repeated-measurements analysis of covariance (RANCOVAs) was used to analyze the anterior and posterior tongue strength under four conditions: maximum isometric pressure, dry swallowing, 5c.c. and 10c.c. of water swallowing. The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences among three trials of anterior and posterior tongue strength. It is suggested that before measuring the tongue strength, the participants should be provided with the opportunity to practice, and one or two trials in formal measurements can be adopted to reduce their fatigue. Keywords: Intraoral pressure; Swallowing; Dysphagia