NCT03423095

Brief Summary

This research study is a six-week treatment pilot study to compare the effects of different exercise types on measures of tongue strength and swallowing pressure in typically aging older adults. Typically-aging older adults represent a group "at risk" for dysphagia secondary to sarcopenia of striated musculature important to swallowing. Participants at all study sites will be randomly selected into one of four study exercise groups. At some study sites, the investigators will also determine cortical activation patterns differences during motor execution and motor imagery of tongue exercises between the groups using near-infrared spectroscopy. The results of this study will inform refinement/further development of the mental practice protocol to use with patients with dysphagia in future studies.

Trial Health

43
At Risk

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Trial has exceeded expected completion date
Enrollment
40

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Dec 2017

Typical duration for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
unknown

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

December 19, 2017

Completed
27 days until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

January 15, 2018

Completed
22 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

February 6, 2018

Completed
1.8 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 1, 2019

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 1, 2019

Completed
Last Updated

April 17, 2019

Status Verified

October 1, 2018

Enrollment Period

2 years

First QC Date

January 15, 2018

Last Update Submit

April 15, 2019

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Tongue strength change

    Maximum tongue strength as measured using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument.

    Change from baseline tongue strength at 6 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Swallowing pressure change

    Change from baseline swallowing pressure strength at 6 weeks

Other Outcomes (1)

  • Cortical activation pattern change

    Change from baseline tongue relative percent change in oxygenation at 6 weeks

Study Arms (4)

Active Jaw Exercise with Relaxation

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Participants randomized to this arm will complete active jaw exercises and visualization relaxation exercise (control group).

Behavioral: Active Jaw Exercise with Relaxation

Active Tongue Exercise

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants randomized to this arm will complete active tongue exercises only.

Behavioral: Active Tongue Exercise

Active Tongue Exercise + Mental Practice

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants randomized to this arm will complete active tongue exercises and mental practice of tongue exercise via motor imagery.

Behavioral: Active Tongue Exercise + Mental Practice

Mental Practice Tongue Exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants randomized to this arm will complete mental practice of tongue exercise via motor imagery only.

Behavioral: Mental Practice Tongue Exercise

Interventions

This is the control group that will complete exercises unrelated to the primary outcome measures.

Active Jaw Exercise with Relaxation

This is the active comparator group that will complete exercises already shown to increase tongue strength measures.

Active Tongue Exercise

This is an experimental group that will complete active tongue and mental tongue exercises to assess effect on tongue strength measures.

Active Tongue Exercise + Mental Practice

This is an experimental group that will complete mental tongue exercises only to assess effect on tongue strength measures.

Mental Practice Tongue Exercise

Eligibility Criteria

Age60 Years - 89 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Adults aged 60-89
  • \< 3 on EAT-10 (Eating Assessment Tool-10) (part of health questionnaire)
  • Mean of ≥2.5 on the KVIQ-10 questions (Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire, short version), a screening questionnaire that assesses a person's motor imagery abilities
  • \> 24 on MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination), a screening questionnaire that assesses cognitive abilities
  • Availability to complete a consecutive 6-week exercise regimen
  • Access to reliable transportation to and from study site for in-person experimental sessions
  • There are certain conditions that are common to the aging study population we are recruiting which will be acceptable: controlled hypertension and controlled diabetes mellitus

You may not qualify if:

  • History of diagnosed dysphagia (swallowing disorder)
  • History of a seizure(s)
  • Current or past problem with pain disorders involving the jaw muscles or joint of the mandible (e.g., TMJ (temporomandibular) disorder or myofacial pain disorder) - these are contraindicated for tongue strengthening exercises
  • Presence of oral piercings/oral apparatus that may interfere with tongue exercises
  • Medical conditions that would affect oral motor performance (e.g., history of acute or degenerative neurological condition, head/neck cancer), as determined by investigator
  • History of a diagnosed dementia or other cognitive impairment
  • Uncontrolled high blood pressure

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Sarah Hegyi Szynkiewicz, PhD, CCC-SLP

Sarasota, Florida, 34243, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Deglutition Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Esophageal DiseasesGastrointestinal DiseasesDigestive System DiseasesPharyngeal DiseasesOtorhinolaryngologic Diseases

Study Officials

  • Sarah Hegyi Szynkiewicz, PhD

    USF Sarasota-Manatee

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Sarah Hegyi Szynkiewicz, PhD

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
NONE
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

January 15, 2018

First Posted

February 6, 2018

Study Start

December 19, 2017

Primary Completion

December 1, 2019

Study Completion

December 1, 2019

Last Updated

April 17, 2019

Record last verified: 2018-10

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will share

The privacy and confidentiality of the participants will be maintained. Each participant's identity will be disassociated from the participant's personal data - a subject number will be assigned to each participant upon signing of the informed consent. De-identified data will be shared between universities using a secure and password protected account.

Shared Documents
STUDY PROTOCOL
Time Frame
De-identified data will be shared from the beginning of enrollment between universities using a password secure Box account and only de-identified data will be kept after the project ends.
Access Criteria
De-identified data will be shared from the beginning of enrollment between universities using a password secure Box account to which all investigators have access.

Locations