Tongue motion in elderly adults: initial in situ observations

By using ultrasound, a noninvasive imaging technique, we were able to compare tongue motion at rest and during speech production and resting tongue thickness in normal older and younger adults. Three sounds /i/, /a/, and /k/ were studied as representative of the basic patterns of tongue displacement during speaking. Midline sagittal tracings of tongue surface curvature were measured to determine thickness, degree, and direction of tongue displacement at rest and during phonation of the three sounds. Differences in direction and extent of tongue displacement were significant between young and old adults during production of /a/ but not /i/ or /k/. Older persons showed a significant diminution in tongue thickness during rest. We found no evidence that tongue function was affected. Ultrasound imaging thus appears to be a useful method for evaluating certain oral-motor functions during aging.