Influence of Ingested Food Texture on Jaw Muscle and Tongue Activity during Mastication in Humans.

Abstract

To investigate the effect of ingested food texture on tongue activity during mastication in humans, the electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded by surface electrodes from the skin over the mylohyoid muscle (MH), masseter muscle (M) and anterior digastric muscle (Da) during mastication ofthree kinds of food (gumi candy: G, peanuts: P, rice cake: RC) in eleven adult subjects. The texture ofthese foods was measured according to the texture profile analysis. P was the hardest food, while RC was the most adhesive of the three. The amplitude of M-EMG decreased significantly during P mastication, while the amplitude of Da-EMG decreased significantly according to the progress of mastication of G, P and RC. The amplitude of MH-EMG decreased significantly during mastication of G. In contrast, the amplitude of MH-EMG increased significantly during mastication of P and RC, with an especially marked increase in amplitude observed in the late stage of chewing during mastication of RC. These results suggest that tongue activity in the late stage of chewing just before swallowing may be affected by the texture of the triturated food in the oral cavity.