No abstract

The aim of this study was to know a difference of lip-closing force (LCF) between 2 measuring methods; 1) the measuring probe was gripped by subjects during measurement (gripped method) and 2) the measuring probe was fixed on the pole (fixed method). In 40 healthy young subjects (15 females, 25 males, mean age = 29.8 ± 5.0 years), LCFs in eight directions during maximum voluntary pursing-like lip closure tasks were recorded by 2 kinds of methods. In male, summed values of LCFs for all eight directions (total LCF) by the gripped method was smaller than that by the fixed method. In female, total LCF was not different between 2 methods. In male, in many directional LCFs (5/6) and total LCF, significant correlations between 2 methods were observed. However, in female there were significant correlations between 2 methods only in 3 directional LCFs. From the results of male, LCF measured by gripped method might become smaller than that by fixed method. Because the data from female were variety, it was suggested that the data by gripped method in female were influenced by something beside the LCF.