- 期刊
Assessment of oral stereognostic ability of healthy adults
摘要
Purpose: A novel method for assessing oral stereognostic ability (OSA) in the older people was developed. The association between OSA and age, oral functions as masticatory performance and subjective chewing experience, were investigated. Materials and methods: Testing objects fabricated by self-cured resin were designed in different thickness and diameter to assess the OSA, five discs were used for assessment, two trials were performed, accuracy and reaction time were recorded. Color-changeable chewing gum was adopted to quantify masticatory performance. Subjective experience of chewing was assessed by questionnaire translated into Chinese. Statistical correlation and comparison were performed in each variable. Results: Twenty-four subjects completed OSA (11 males and 13 females, mean age: 34.5 years-old) were recruited. The correlation in accuracy between the first and the second tests did not reach a statistical significance (Spearman's rho = 0.051, p = 0.482). Between the two tests, the accuracy did not differ significantly (two-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p = 0.061). The correlation in reaction time between the first and the second tests reached a statistical significance (Spearman's rho = 0.786, p ＜ 0.001). Between the two tests, the reaction time showed a significantly difference (two-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p = P = 0.028). The correlation between OSA accuracy and masticatory performance was not statistically significant (the first test: Spearman's rho = 0.301, p = 0.275; the second test: Spearman's rho = 0.114 p = 0.685). Conclusion: The current study reported a novel assessment of evaluating OSA, which revealed a high consistence in between-test reaction time, as an index of OSA performance.