Five Specific Tongue Movements in a Healthy Population
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Five Specific Tongue Movements in a Healthy Population Kilian D. R. Kappert1,2 · Simone van Dijk1,3 · David Wellenstein1 · Maarten J. A. van Alphen1 · Rob J. J. H. van Son1,4 · Ludi E. Smeele1,3 · Alfons J. M. Balm1,3 Received: 10 March 2020 / Accepted: 28 September 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract The importance of tongue mobility on speech, oral food transport, and swallowing is well recognized. However, whether the individual tongue mobility influences postoperative function in oral cancer treatment remains to be elucidated. This study assesses the ability to perform five tongue movements as rolling, twisting (two sides), folding, and the ‘cloverleaf’ in a healthy population. Because a tumor in oral cancer patients often restricts the mobility of the tongue, it might be helpful to know if it is possible to recall any of those movements without demonstrating it. Two observers asked 387 Dutch healthy adults if they could perform one of the five specific tongue movements and were subsequently asked to demonstrate the five movements. The distribution in the Dutch population is: rolling: 83.7%, cloverleaf: 14.7%, folding: 27.5%, twisting left: 36.1% and twisting right: 35.6%. The percentage of people that can fold their tongue is almost ten times higher (3% versus 27.5%) than in previous research, and it was found that the ability to roll the tongue is not a prerequisite for folding of the tongue. A relationship between gender or right-handedness and the ability to perform certain tongue movements could not be found. Of the participants, 9.9% and 13.1% incorrectly assumed that they could demonstrate tongue rolling and cloverleaf. Tongue folding and twisting (left or right) were incorrectly assumed in 36.9%, 24.1%, and 25.4% of the cases. Rolling and cloverleaf are preferred for future prediction models because these movements are easy to recall without demonstrating. Keywords Tongue cancer · Tongue mobility · Tongue rolling · Tongue folding · Tongue twisting · Cloverleaf
Introduction The importance of tongue mobility on speech, oral food transport, and swallowing is well recognized. Particularly in oral cancer treatment, the prediction of function loss deserves a lot of attention [1–5]. However, whether the individual tongue mobility influences postoperative function remains to be elucidated [6].
* Kilian D. R. Kappert [email protected] 1
Department of Head and Neck Oncology and Surgery, The Netherlands Cancer Institute/Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2
Robotics and Mechatronics, Technical Medical Centre, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
3
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
4
Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication, Universtiy of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The first article about tongue movements dates back to 1940 and since then, limited data have been published. Six specific tongue movements have been described thus far, being
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