Effect of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Masseter Muscle Thickness and Maximal Bite Force among Healthy Community-Dwelling Persons Aged 65 Years and Older: A Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

Moon-Young Chang, Gihyoun Lee, Young-Jin Jung and Ji-Su Park
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Moon-Young Chang: Department of Occupational Therapy, Inje University, Gimhae 50834, Korea
Gihyoun Lee: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Center for Prevention and Rehabilitation, Heart Vascular Stroke Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 06351, Korea
Young-Jin Jung: Department of Radiological Science, Health Sciences Division, Dongseo University, Busan 47011, Korea
Ji-Su Park: Advanced Human Resource Development Project Group for Health Care in Aging Friendly Industry, Dongseo University, Busan 47011, Korea

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-10

Abstract: Aim: This study investigated the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on masseter muscle thickness and maximal bite force among healthy community-dwelling elderly persons older than 65 years. Materials and methods: A total of 40 participants were randomly assigned to the experimental and placebo groups. In the experimental group, NMES was applied to both masseter muscles, and electrical signals were gradually increased until the participants felt a grabbing sensation (range 6.0–7.5 mA) in the masseter muscle. The placebo group, in contrast, underwent NMES in the same manner and procedure as the experimental group with less electrical intensity (0.5 mA). All interventions were administered five times a week for six weeks, 20 min per day. The outcomes were masseter muscle thickness assessed using ultrasound and maximal bite force using a bite force meter. The level of significance was set as p < 0.05. Results: The experimental group showed a significant increase in both masseter muscle thickness and maximal bite force as compared with the placebo group ( p = 0.002 and 0.019, respectively). Moreover, the degree of change in the masseter muscle thickness and maximal bite force significantly increased in the experimental and placebo groups ( p < 0.001, both). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that NMES could be an effective modality for increasing masseter muscle thickness and maximal bite force in healthy older adults.

Keywords: neuromuscular electrical stimulation; masseter muscle thickness; maximal bite force (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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