The Pattern of Tongue's Motion: A Free-Exploration Study

The human tongue is involved in many essential daily activities and is comprised of eight muscles. To date tools for quantifications of the tongue's intrinsic motions are limited. In this study we explored the tongue's motion during a free-exploration paradigm, using a discreet wireless intra-oral wearable device. Six healthy subjects were instructed to freely move the tip of their tongue on the wearable device while attempting to cover the entire surface of the hard palate. The goal of this study is to compose a two-dimensional probability distribution model of the tongue's motion. We conclude that 90-seconds of non-continuous data collection was sufficient for visualizing the two-dimensional probability distribution of the free-exploration paradigm. The results suggest that the subjects concentrate the majority of the motion in the central portion of the palate.