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- Title
Age-related changes in oral tactile and thermal sensation throughout adulthood.
- Authors
Nishimura, Rumi; Yoshida, Mitsuyoshi; Shigeishi, Hideo; Fukada-Sambuichi, Eri; Yamashita-Urabe, Kaoru; Takechi, Masaaki; Toratani, Shigeaki; Tsuga, Kazuhiro; Sugiyama, Masaru
- Abstract
Although the life expectancy of women is over 80 years in many countries, oral sensation has scarcely been compared between adults ≥ 80 years and younger age groups. The purpose of this study was to clarify age-related changes in oral sensation throughout adulthood. After exclusion of individuals with factors that might have confounded somatosensory performance, 123 female participants were divided into four age groups: 20–39 years, 40–59 years, 60–79 years, and 80–96 years. Perceptions of tactile and thermal sensations were examined at points on the anterior and posterior palate, anterior and posterior tongue, lower labial-attached gingiva, lower lip, and buccal mucosa; two-point discrimination was examined only on the tongue. The tactile and two-point discrimination thresholds for the anterior and posterior tongue were significantly higher in the 80–96-year-old group than in any other age group (p < 0.05). The tactile threshold for the buccal mucosa was significantly higher in the 80–96-year-old group than in the 60–79-year-old group (p < 0.05). The percentage of participants able to perceive a warm stimulus (50 °C) in the buccal mucosa was significantly lower in the 80–96-year-old group than in the 20–39-year-old group (p < 0.05). Only the topography of the warm sensation perception changed with age. This cross-sectional study suggests that oral tactile and thermal sensation for warm stimuli deteriorates with age in a site-specific manner, especially after the age of 80 years, but the same does not occur with cool stimuli.
- Subjects
SENSES; ADULTS; AGE groups; LIFE expectancy; MUCOUS membranes
- Publication
Odontology, 2021, Vol 109, Issue 3, p710
- ISSN
1618-1247
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10266-021-00594-4