Ding Ruiying, Logemann Jeri A, Larson Charles R, Rademaker Alfred W
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2003 Aug;46(4):977-89. doi: 10.1044/1092-4388(2003/076).
Recent studies done on healthy older individuals have demonstrated elevated taste thresholds for sweet, sour, and salty taste. At suprathreshold levels, such individuals have also shown less ability to discriminate between different intensities of the same tastant. This study was designed to provide information on swallow timing and muscle contraction intensity variables in healthy older people during swallowing of liquid and cottage cheese consistencies in 3 taste conditions (sweet, salty, and sour). Taste and consistency were incorporated in the design of this study to determine not only the effect of taste and consistency independently, but also the effects of taste and consistency in combination. Surface electromyography (EMG) at 3 sites--the orbicularis oris inferior region, submental muscle region, and infrahyoid muscle region--were included in the study. Results revealed that the start of submental muscle activation was significantly later in older participants than in younger participants. The 3 taste conditions had higher EMG levels and shorter activation times than the no-taste condition, although different taste conditions and different muscle sites were affected differently. With thicker consistency, substantially increased EMG amplitude and duration were noted for all three sites. A more pronounced effect of taste was manifested as earlier submental or infrahyoid muscle activation when the three tastants were added to a thicker consistency. Interaction of taste, consistency, and age was also noted for onset time at the submental and infrahyoid sites.
最近针对健康老年人开展的研究表明，他们对甜味、酸味和咸味的味觉阈值有所升高。在阈上水平时，这些人区分同一味觉物质不同强度的能力也较弱。本研究旨在提供健康老年人在吞咽三种口味（甜、咸、酸）的液体和软奶酪状食物时吞咽时间和肌肉收缩强度变量的相关信息。本研究的设计纳入了口味和食物质地因素，不仅是为了分别确定口味和食物质地的影响，也是为了确定两者结合后的影响。该研究纳入了三个部位的表面肌电图（EMG）检测，即口轮匝肌下部区域、颏下肌肉区域和舌骨下肌肉区域。结果显示，老年参与者颏下肌肉开始激活的时间明显晚于年轻参与者。与无味条件相比，三种口味条件下的肌电图水平更高，激活时间更短，不过不同的口味条件和不同的肌肉部位受到的影响有所不同。食物质地更浓稠时，所有三个部位的肌电图幅度和持续时间都大幅增加。当三种味觉物质添加到更浓稠的食物中时，口味的影响更为明显，表现为颏下或舌骨下肌肉更早激活。在颏下和舌骨下部位的起始时间方面，还发现了口味、食物质地和年龄之间的相互作用。
