Tongue-Yoga: Precision Visual Feedback Rehabilitation Improves Tongue Agility

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• The tongue's agility is crucial for speech, breathing, chewing, and swallowing, but is often impaired after neurological injury.
• Current rehabilitation lacks objective measures for tongue impairment and restoration.
• Dysarthria, a common consequence of neurological conditions, significantly affects oral motor function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a clinic-friendly method for quantifying tongue agility using a wireless intraoral sensing device.
• To develop an individualized visual feedback intervention to improve tongue movement patterns.
• To assess the efficacy of precision visual feedback in enhancing tongue function in individuals with dysarthria.

Main Methods:

• A wireless intraoral sensing device was used to quantify tongue agility by analyzing movement probability distributions.
• Individualized deviations from neurotypical tongue movement patterns were identified.
• Participants received seven one-hour sessions of individualized visual feedback therapy.

Main Results:

• Sensing area coverage significantly increased by 10.29%.
• Over-expressed tongue movement areas significantly decreased by 3.99%.
• Tongue movement velocity significantly improved by 3.85%.

Conclusions:

• Precision visual feedback rehabilitation shows promising preliminary evidence for reshaping tongue movement patterns.
• This method can enhance tongue agility in individuals with oral motor disorders.
• The developed system offers objective measures for tongue impairment and rehabilitation progress.