[Clinical and instrumental examination of tongue motor function]

The examination of tongue motor functions requires a clinical examination of voluntary movements as well an objective evaluation of the intraoral movements during speech, deglutition, mastication and during rest. For a comparison with the simple visual assessment of voluntary movements with the mouth opened, intraoral tongue movements have been studied using various techniques. The use of lateral x-ray palatography and electromagnetic articulography (EMA) for objective intraoral measurement of tongue motor activitiesis described. Case examples are given for simultaneous recording of midsagittal movements of the tongue, the mandible and the velum during swallowing and speaking.