| Abstract
This replication study analyzed data from five female subjects, aged 12 to 27 years. Prior to participation in the study participants were diagnosed with tongue thrust through the use of the Stone Tongue Thrust Protocol (STTP). Once diagnosed, subjects were evaluated using clinical measured of oromyofunctional disorder (OMD) and oropharyngeal dysphagia (OPD). Masseter activity was assessed using electromyography (EMG), oral muscle strength through the use of the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPT), and oropharyngeal swallow timing through a combination of EMG and the four finger method of palpation. Subjects were compared with normative data of Holzer, et al. (2011). Raw scores obtained during the study were converted into T-scores and p-values to determine if significant differences exist between the present study data and the normative data. Significant differences were found on TOPI tongue dorsum strength, EMG oropharyngeal transit time, and subjective variable measurements.
Key words: tongue thrust, oromyofunctional disorder, oropharyngeal dysphagia, swallowing, clinical assessment |