Tongue Muscle Strength and Endurance in 4 to 6 Years Old Children

• Main Authors: HO, MING-CHE, 何明哲
• Other Authors: TORNG, PAO-CHUAN
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2017
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/45870126694488463290

碩士 === 國立臺北護理健康大學 === 語言治療與聽力研究所 === 105 === Tongue muscle strength and endurance are essential for speech and swallowing function. To acquire effective speech function, such as motor coordination, movement stability and movement accuracy, sufficient muscle strength and endurance are absolutely necessary. In the early developmental periods, children need sufficient tongue muscle strength and endurance for providing sensory feedback to establish the tongue movement function and to improve movement stability during of 4 to 6 years old. That is tongue muscle strength and endurance are playing an important role for speech function and motor control development. The Iowa Oral Performance Instrument （IOPI）is an effective and objective measurement tool for measuring the muscle strength and endurance of the tongue. IOPI’s norm, reliability and validity of the adult populations had been well established in studies. Besides, IOPI also had been applied for children over 3 years old. Howerver, studies for estblishing the norms for chilren are limited. This study recruited 64 children of 4 years 8 months to 6 years 4 months old and discussed the relationship between tongue muscle physiology and motor coordination from Taoyuan city with convenience sampling. In addition, this study also aimed to establish the tongue muscle strength and endurance status of 4 to 6 years old children. Results showed that tongue strength and coordination increased with age, and there was significant correlation between tongue strength and coordination. Tongue strength and endurence also could partially predict the ability of tongue coordination.