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Correlation of cognitive and masticatory function in Alzheimer’s disease

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Abstract

Objectives

This study investigated chewing function in elderly individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and correlated chewing function with cognitive status.

Materials and methods

Sixteen elderly individuals with mild AD (mean age 76.7 ± 6.3 years; 8 men, 8 women) and 16 age and gender-matched healthy controls (mean age 75.23 ± 4.4 years; 8 men, 8 women) were included in this study. All volunteers wore removable prostheses: 11 were totally edentulous and five were partially edentulous in each group. Chewing function was evaluated via masticatory performance (MP) using Optocal chewable test material and a sieve fractionation method. Cognitive functioning was assessed by the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), administered by a trained examiner. Data were analyzed by non-paired t test and Pearson’s correlation with α = 0.05.

Results

Compared to controls, mild AD patients had decreased MP (P < 0.01) and MMSE (P = 0.01). MP showed a moderate negative correlation with MMSE (r = −0.69).

Conclusions

Mild AD was associated with impaired chewing function.

Clinical relevance

Knowledge that mild AD has an impact on chewing is important for dental professionals in decision-making related to prosthetics and general dental treatment.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq, grant number 48.090.3/2013-1) and by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP, grant number 2013/10200-7), Brazil.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Prosthodontics and Periodontology, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Avenida Limeira, no. 901, Bairro Areião, Piracicaba, SP, CEP: 13414-903, Brazil

    Camila Heitor Campos, Giselle Rodrigues Ribeiro & Renata Cunha Matheus Rodrigues Garcia

  2. Department of Physical Education, Paulista State University Julio de Mesquita Filho, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    José Luiz Riani Costa

Authors
  1. Camila Heitor Campos
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  2. Giselle Rodrigues Ribeiro
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  3. José Luiz Riani Costa
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  4. Renata Cunha Matheus Rodrigues Garcia
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Renata Cunha Matheus Rodrigues Garcia.

Ethics declarations

The research protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Piracicaba Dental School (#43/2013), University of Campinas. Patients and their families or legal representatives provided signed written informed consent.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Campos, C.H., Ribeiro, G.R., Costa, J.L.R. et al. Correlation of cognitive and masticatory function in Alzheimer’s disease. Clin Oral Invest 21, 573–578 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-016-1923-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-016-1923-z

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