Received by the Editorial Office: June 28, 2026
Accepted for publication: July 29, 2026
Published online: September 30, 2026
UDC: 616.31-053.9:616.89-008.46
DOI: 10.70113/1815-9443.2026.52.35.005
MASTICATORY EFFICIENCY AND COGNITIVE HEALTH IN OLDER ADULTS
Aisulu Zholdybayeva¹*, Nabi Yessimov², Eileen Zholdybayeva³
¹Caspian International School of Medicine, Caspian University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
²Almaty City Mental Health Center, Almaty, Kazakhstan
³Turan University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
*Corresponding author: zholdybayeva.aisulu@cu.edu.kz
Introduction. Reduced masticatory efficiency in older adults is traditionally regarded as a dental problem affecting nutrition, quality of life, and the need for prosthodontic rehabilitation. Current evidence allows masticatory function to be considered more broadly, as a potential component of general and cognitive health.
Objective. To summarize current concepts regarding the possible association between masticatory efficiency and cognitive function in older adults, with particular emphasis on sensorimotor mechanisms and the role of trigeminal afferentation.
Materials and Methods. A conceptual narrative review was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and open-access full-text scientific resources. Search terms addressed masticatory efficiency, chewing ability, bite force, tooth loss, occlusal support, older adults, cognitive function, hippocampal and parahippocampal structures, the trigeminal nerve, and trigeminal proprioception. Priority was given to systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical studies in older adults, neuroimaging studies, and experimental and neuroanatomical research. The review is not systematic and does not claim exhaustive coverage of the literature.
Results. The reviewed evidence indicates that reduced masticatory efficiency, loss of occlusal support, lower bite force, and chewing difficulties are associated with poorer cognitive indicators in older adults, although findings are heterogeneous. Mastication also provides continuous sensorimotor afferentation from the periodontium, masticatory muscles, temporomandibular joint, and oral mucosa, predominantly through trigeminal pathways. Experimental and neuroimaging findings support the biological plausibility of links between masticatory function, sensorimotor activity, and hippocampal or parahippocampal structures.
Discussion. The proposed mechanistic sensorimotor theory integrates dental function, trigeminal afferentation, and cognitive vulnerability. However, the available human evidence is predominantly observational, and reduced masticatory efficiency may reflect or interact with nutrition, vascular health, chronic disease, social activity, and general functional status. Therefore, the theory should be regarded as a working explanatory model rather than a proven causal pathway.
Conclusion. Masticatory efficiency in older adults should be assessed not only as a local dental outcome but as a functional characteristic of the dentognathic system. Restoration of adequate chewing remains an important goal of dental rehabilitation; further longitudinal and interventional studies with objective masticatory assessment, cognitive testing, and neuroimaging are required to clarify its relationship with cognitive health.
Keywords: masticatory efficiency; cognitive function; older adults; trigeminal nerve; sensorimotor afferentation; hippocampus; dental rehabilitation.
