Influence of the aging on the tongue function and tongue shape, and the rlationship to the eating

主要的发音器官不仅是说话和吞咽，而且还有咀嚼系统，这有助于准备食物。舌的位置和运动会影响义齿的稳定性。《国粹国际》杂志报道了舌头的重要功能。利用超声波和CCD摄像系统实现了舌形的动态测量。该系统由3.5 MHz探头和探测器组成，探头以每秒30次的速度扫描背部90度角的扇形区域。为了获得探头相对于头部的相对位置，在超声波测量过程中，使用CCD摄像机同时检测附着在探头和玻璃上的市场。用牙科印模材料给上颌留下印记，然后浇注石膏。制作了一种腭部假体。利用视听混合器将摄像图像和舌象信号叠加成图像信号，并由计算机进行数字化处理。在调整头部和探头的运动后，将所需时间的舌形和腭形与图像处理软件进行叠加。在咬合静止位置和垂直尺寸增加时测量舌形到腭部。静息状态下舌前部与腭前部轮廓一致。随着舌体曲率的减小，舌体的垂直尺寸增加，舌体向后向下。上述系统和研究结果发表在《日本口腔修复学会杂志》上。作为本研究的下一步，本研究将探讨衰老对舌形和舌功变化的影响。

Principal articulator of not only speech and swallowing, but also masticatory system, that helps to prepare the food bolus. Positions and movements of tongue affect the denture stability. The significant function of tongue was reported in the Journal "Quintessence International". Dynamic measurement of tongue shape was developed using an ultrasonic and CCD camera systems. The system was consisted of 3.5 MHz transducer of which beam scans the sector area of 90 degrees angle along dorsum at 30 times a second and a detector. To obtain the relative position of the probe to the head, markets attached to the probe and glasses were detected using CCD camera simultaneously during the ultrasonic measurement. The palate was impressed by a dental impression material and the casts are poured. A palatal prosthesis was fabricated. Both CCD camera image and tongue image signals were imposed in an image signal using audio-visual mixer and the signal was digitized by a computer. The tongue and palatal shapes at a desired time were superimposed with an image processing software after adjusting the movements of head and probe. The tongue shape to the palate was measured at rest position of occlusion and increase of vertical dimension. The anterior portion of tongue was coherent to the anterior palatal contour at rest position. The tongue was positioned to the post-downward at the increase of vertical dimension with the decrease of curvance of tongue contour.The above system and findings were reported in the Journal of Japan Prosthodontic Society. As next step of this study influence of the aging on the change of tongue shape and tongue function will be investigated.