Age-related differences in maximum voluntary lip-closing force and ability to control lip-closing force

Keiko Hijiya; Yuji Masuda; Takeshi Miyamoto; Ryosuke Shimono; Takafumi Kato; Toru Kageyama; Kazuhiro Yamada

doi:10.1016/j.job.2021.02.002

Age-related differences in maximum voluntary lip-closing force and ability to control lip-closing force

J Oral Biosci. 2021 Jun;63(2):210-216. doi: 10.1016/j.job.2021.02.002. Epub 2021 Feb 27.

Authors

Keiko Hijiya¹, Yuji Masuda², Takeshi Miyamoto¹, Ryosuke Shimono³, Takafumi Kato⁴, Toru Kageyama¹, Kazuhiro Yamada¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthodontics, Matsumoto Dental University, Shiojiri, Nagano, Japan.
² Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Biology, Institute for Oral Science, Matsumoto Dental University, Shiojiri, Nagano, Japan; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Biology, Graduate School of Oral Medicine, Matsumoto Dental University, Shiojiri, Nagano, Japan. Electronic address: yuji.masuda@mdu.ac.jp.
³ Department of Prosthodontics, Matsumoto Dental University, Shiojiri, Nagano, Japan.
⁴ Department of Oral Physiology, Graduate School of Dentistry, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.

PMID: 33652121
DOI: 10.1016/j.job.2021.02.002

Abstract

Objectives: Deterioration of lip function in the elderly is a form of oral hypofunction. It is important to understand age-related changes in lip function to improve oral health. This study aimed to quantitatively compare the maximum lip-closing force (LCF) and the ability to control LCF during voluntary lip-pursing movements between elderly and young adults and clarify the influence of aging on both measurements.

Methods: Using a multidirectional LCF measurement system, we measured six-directional maximum LCFs (upper, upper right, lower right, lower, lower left, upper right) of 20 healthy elderly men (69.6 ± 4.2 years) and 20 healthy young men (25.1 ± 3.8 years). The ability to control the LCF in each direction was assessed based on the accuracy rate. The directional LCF and the ability to control LCF were compared between the elderly and young adults.

Results: The maximum directional LCF in the elderly adults was significantly smaller than that in the young adults in three directions from the lower lip; moreover, the accuracy rate of the elderly adults was significantly lower than that of young adults in five of the six directions.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the influence of aging on the accuracy of LCF may be different from that on muscle strength. Hypofunction of the lips due to aging may result not only from decreased muscle strength but also from reduced LCF accuracy.

Keywords: Aging; Lip; Men; Pressure; feedback.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Aging
Facial Muscles*
Humans
Lip*
Male
Muscle Strength
Oral Health
Young Adult