Tongue and chin training improved swallowing measures, while eating and cognition gains remained uncertain
In older adults with frailty, combined training and chin resistance alone improved tongue strength and swallowing pressure. Other measured outcomes did not show statistically significant gains.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The trial reported improvements in tongue strength and swallowing pressure after training, with improvements still observed after a later booster period. Both combined tongue-and-chin exercises and chin resistance alone showed gains. Changes in oral intake, cognition, tongue endurance and lip strength were not statistically significant, so broader functional benefits remain uncertain.
The abstract does not clearly identify the reference comparisons or units for its model coefficients, and it gives no clear direct estimate of the added benefit of combining tongue exercises with chin resistance.
What was measured
The clearest reported changes concerned tongue force and pressure during swallowing. Oral intake was measured separately and did not show a statistically significant improvement, so stronger test performance should not be equated with better eating.
Follow-up included further training
Later assessments followed an additional booster training period. The sustained improvements therefore describe a program that included renewed training, rather than showing how long the initial course alone would continue to have an effect.
The original publication
Effects of synergistic tongue and chin resistance training on swallowing function, oral intake, and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly individuals with frailty: a double-blind randomised controlled trial.
Chou YF, Banda KJ, Chen R et al.
J Glob Health · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41346239
- Record checked
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