Oral Motor and Cognitive Dual-Task Training (OMCDT) Program for Improving Oral and Cognitive Functions Among People With Oral Frailty (OMCDT)

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Adults aged 50 years or above;
2. Cantonese speaking;
3. Having oral frailty, which is defined as having at least two of the following components by Oral Frailty Five-item Checklist (OF-5): (i) Natural teeth fewer than 20, (ii) Have any difficulties eating tough foods now compared with 6 months ago; (iii) Have choked on tea or soup recently; (iv) Often experience having a dry mouth, and (v) Oral diadochokinetic /ta/ sound <6.0 times/second;
4. Having subjective cognitive decline (SCD), which refers to self-reported experience of worsening or more frequent confusion or memory loss in the past 12 month, or having been diagnosed with mild or moderate cognitive impairment; defined as a score of 0.5, 1, or 2 on Clinical Dementia Rating (C.D.R) scale;
5. Living independently or with partial assistance, defined as a score of Modified Barthel Index score greater than 60 out of 100;
6. Right-handed person to minimize variability in cortical activation patterns during fNIRS measurement;
7. Can understand the purpose and contents of this project and could give written consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Have attended the dental clinics for dental treatment or received orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT), involving doing certain oral exercises with cheeks, tongue, or lips in previous 6 months;
2. Have received other cognitive training in previous 6 month;
3. Have impaired vision or hearing capacity that cannot understand the training instructions;
4. Have a diagnosis of a neurological or psychiatric condition that could affect cognitive function;
5. Have terminal illness, Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) disorders; Sjogren's (SHOW-grins) syndrome;
6. Have undergone glossectomy surgery;
7. have been taking drugs that affect cognitive function (e.g. Benzodiazepines, antidepressants, central nervous drugs).