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Masticatory muscular activation in elderly individuals during chewing
Rodrigo Galo1, Mathias Vitti, Maria da Glória Chiarello Mattos
1Department of Morphology, Stomatology, and Physiology, Laboratory of Electromyography, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo University, São Paulo, Brazil.
Elderly individuals exhibit reduced masticatory muscle activation during chewing of harder foods compared to younger adults. This suggests potential age-related changes in chewing efficiency and nutritional intake.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Oral Physiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Aging accelerates oral cavity and masticatory system changes.
- Reduced food intake in older adults can cause nutritional imbalance.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate masticatory muscle activation in elderly individuals during chewing.
- Compare elderly chewing function with that of young individuals.
Main Methods:
- Electromyographical analysis of temporalis and masseter muscles in elderly (60-75 years) and young (23-30 years) groups.
- Data normalized by maximum voluntary contraction (MVC).
- Independent t-test used for statistical comparison.
Main Results:
- Elderly individuals showed significantly lower normalized electromyographic activity in masseter and temporalis muscles for harder foods (p <= 0.05).
- No significant differences were observed for foods with the lowest consistency.
Conclusions:
- Elderly individuals demonstrate slight hypoactivity of masticatory muscles during chewing compared to younger adults.
- Age-related decline in masticatory muscle function may impact food processing and nutrition.
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