Effect of Tongue-to-Palate Resistance Training in Geriatric Patients With Oropharyngeal Dysphagia

The Tongue-to-Palate Resistance Training (TPRT) is a home-based, device-free exercise program. Participants were instructed to press their tongue firmly against their hard palate and hold the contraction. The protocol consisted of 30 repetitions per session, performed five days a week for a duration of eight weeks. Adherence was supported through instructional videos, a caregiver, and a training logbook. The goal of the intervention is to strengthen the intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles and the suprahyoid muscle group to improve swallowing function.

The active comparator consists of a conventional, multi-modal standard of care for oropharyngeal dysphagia. It includes in-clinic sessions twice a week featuring either Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES), where electrodes are placed in the submental region to stimulate the swallowing muscles, or biofeedback swallowing therapy. Additionally, participants perform unsupervised Chin Tuck Against Resistance (CTAR) exercises at home. This arm represents the established clinical rehabilitation approach against which the experimental TPRT intervention is compared