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Associations between measured masticatory function and cognitive status: A systematic review
Kenji Maekawa1, Yoshiko Motohashi2, Kentaro Igarashi3
1Department of Removable Prosthodontics and Occlusion, Osaka Dental University, Osaka, Japan.
Gerodontology
|March 28, 2024
Summary
Good chewing ability is linked to better cognitive status in adults. More research, especially long-term studies, is needed to confirm if this connection is causal.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Oral Health
Background:
- Emerging evidence suggests a link between oral health and cognitive function.
- Understanding the relationship between masticatory function and cognitive status is crucial for public health.
- Recent research has focused on objective and subjective measures of chewing ability.
Approach:
- A systematic review of observational studies published between 2011 and 2021 was conducted.
- Searches included PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases, supplemented by manual searches.
- Studies assessing masticatory function (objective/subjective) and cognitive status in adults were included and critically appraised.
Key Points:
- Eleven cross-sectional studies using objective measures found poorer masticatory function associated with lower cognitive status.
- Nine cross-sectional studies using subjective measures also indicated a similar association.
- One prospective cohort study showed that masticatory function predicted cognitive decline over time.
Conclusions:
- A consistent association exists between masticatory function and cognitive status.
- Further longitudinal research is necessary to establish a causal relationship.
- Maintaining good oral health may play a role in preserving cognitive function.
