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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Journal of Clinical Medicine

A Three-Item Oral Function Impairment Score Is Associated with White Matter, but Not Gray Matter, Volume Ratio in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

  • Akihiro Matsumura1
  • Yoshihiro Tamura1
  • Norihiko Narita1
  • Tomoh Matsumiya2
  • Kosei Kubota1
  • Kaito Yanagidate1
  • Yudai Yamaki1
  • Shotaro Mori1
  • Keita Watanabe3
  • Tomohiro Shintaku4
  • Sera Kasai4
  • Kana Saito4
5 more authors
  • Shingo Kakeda4
  • Tatsuya Mikami5
  • Koichi Murashita6
  • Shigeyuki Nakaji5
  • Wataru Kobayashi1
6 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan
  2. 2Department of Vascular and Inflammatory Medicine, Biomedical Research Center, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan
  3. 3Department of Radiology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
  4. 4Department of Radiology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan
  5. 5Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan
  6. 6COI Research Initiatives Organization, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan
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Abstract

Background/Objectives: Declining oral function is associated with adverse health outcomes in older adults; however, its relationship with underlying brain structure remains unclear. We examined whether a three-item oral function impairment score (OFIS), based on the number of present teeth, tongue pressure, and oral diadochokinesis (ODK), was associated with white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) volume ratios in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2017 Hirosaki Dementia cohort. The primary analysis included 912 participants after excluding those with missing data or a history of neurological conditions; a sensitivity analysis included participants with neurological conditions (n = 947). One point was assigned for <20 present teeth, tongue pressure <30 kPa, and reduced ODK, yielding an OFIS ranging from 0 to 3, with higher scores indicating impairment across a greater number of oral function domains. WM and GM volume ratios were calculated as tissue volume divided by total intracranial volume. Associations with OFIS were evaluated using multivariable linear regression adjusted for demographic, lifestyle, and vascular/metabolic factors. Results: A higher OFIS was associated with a lower WM volume ratio after multivariable adjustment (B = −0.282; 95% CI, −0.402 to −0.161; p < 0.001). No significant association was observed between the OFIS and GM volume ratio after adjustment (B = 0.066; 95% CI, −0.064 to 0.196; p = 0.319). The association with WM remained consistent in the sensitivity analysis. In separate covariate-adjusted secondary models, each OFIS component was associated with the WM volume ratio. Conclusions: In this cross-sectional study, greater impairment across the three assessed oral function domains was associated with a lower cerebral WM volume ratio, but not GM volume ratio, in community-dwelling older adults.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{matsumura2026threeitem,
  title = {{A Three-Item Oral Function Impairment Score Is Associated with White Matter, but Not Gray Matter, Volume Ratio in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study}},
  author = {Akihiro Matsumura and Yoshihiro Tamura and Norihiko Narita and Tomoh Matsumiya and Kosei Kubota and Kaito Yanagidate and Yudai Yamaki and Shotaro Mori and Keita Watanabe and Tomohiro Shintaku and Sera Kasai and Kana Saito and Shingo Kakeda and Tatsuya Mikami and Koichi Murashita and Shigeyuki Nakaji and Wataru Kobayashi},
  journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/jcm15218252},
  url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8252},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - A Three-Item Oral Function Impairment Score Is Associated with White Matter, but Not Gray Matter, Volume Ratio in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study
AU  - Akihiro Matsumura
AU  - Yoshihiro Tamura
AU  - Norihiko Narita
AU  - Tomoh Matsumiya
AU  - Kosei Kubota
AU  - Kaito Yanagidate
AU  - Yudai Yamaki
AU  - Shotaro Mori
AU  - Keita Watanabe
AU  - Tomohiro Shintaku
AU  - Sera Kasai
AU  - Kana Saito
AU  - Shingo Kakeda
AU  - Tatsuya Mikami
AU  - Koichi Murashita
AU  - Shigeyuki Nakaji
AU  - Wataru Kobayashi
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/23
JO  - Journal of Clinical Medicine
DO  - 10.3390/jcm15218252
UR  - https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8252
AB  - Background/Objectives: Declining oral function is associated with adverse health outcomes in older adults; however, its relationship with underlying brain structure remains unclear. We examined whether a three-item oral function impairment score (OFIS), based on the number of present teeth, tongue pressure, and oral diadochokinesis (ODK), was associated with white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) volume ratios in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2017 Hirosaki Dementia cohort. The primary analysis included 912 participants after excluding those with missing data or a history of neurological conditions; a sensitivity analysis included participants with neurological conditions (n = 947). One point was assigned for <20 present teeth, tongue pressure <30 kPa, and reduced ODK, yielding an OFIS ranging from 0 to 3, with higher scores indicating impairment across a greater number of oral function domains. WM and GM volume ratios were calculated as tissue volume divided by total intracranial volume. Associations with OFIS were evaluated using multivariable linear regression adjusted for demographic, lifestyle, and vascular/metabolic factors. Results: A higher OFIS was associated with a lower WM volume ratio after multivariable adjustment (B = −0.282; 95% CI, −0.402 to −0.161; p < 0.001). No significant association was observed between the OFIS and GM volume ratio after adjustment (B = 0.066; 95% CI, −0.064 to 0.196; p = 0.319). The association with WM remained consistent in the sensitivity analysis. In separate covariate-adjusted secondary models, each OFIS component was associated with the WM volume ratio. Conclusions: In this cross-sectional study, greater impairment across the three assessed oral function domains was associated with a lower cerebral WM volume ratio, but not GM volume ratio, in community-dwelling older adults.
SN  - 2077-0383
ER  -