Loss of taste in the elderly: sex differences

Taste disturbance following cochlear implantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the rate of taste disturbance following cochlear implantation.

METHODS

The review was designed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Included studies psychophysically measured taste. DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models were used. An overall mean from studies reporting a single mean of taste strip performance was calculated using inverse variance method for pooling.

RESULTS

Of 380 studies identified, 9 were included across which 55 cases of postoperative taste disturbance were reported in 498 patients. Taste was tested at variable timepoints, from <1 week to ≥6 months postoperatively. The overall rate of postoperative taste disturbance was 13.5% (95% CI, 7.6-20.7%) with high heterogeneity between studies (I2 = 62%).

DISCUSSION

13.5% might indicate a higher prevalence of taste disturbance following cochlear implantation compared to the general population. However, the confidence we can assign to our calculated rate is limited by significant heterogeneity and potential publication bias. Studies reporting mean taste strip scores generally found reduced taste function on the side of the tongue ipsilateral to implantation, but this reduction wasn't statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Further research, employing more robust and standardised methodologies, is necessary to accurately ascertain the rate and nature of taste disturbance following cochlear implantation.

The Influence of Nutritional Status and Sleep Quality on Gustatory Function in Older Adults

Background and Objectives: Age-related declines in taste function are common. Taste acuity can be affected by nutritional status and sleep quality. This research aims to examine the effect of nutritional status and sleep quality on gustatory function in community-dwelling older adults. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 119 community-dwelling older adults (50.4% of whom were female). The gustatory function was evaluated using four liquid taste solutions (sweet, bitter, sour, and salty) each at four different concentrations and the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was applied. Additionally, anthropometric measurements were taken. Results: The mean scores on the gustatory test for the sweet, bitter, sour, and salty tastes were 2.11 ± 1.27, 2.12 ± 1.03, 2.28 ± 1.03, and 1.98 ± 1.41, respectively. There were significant differences according to gender, polypharmacy, nutritional status, and sleep quality in identifying sweet tastes (all p < 0.05). It was also found that females and participants without polypharmacy had better scores for bitter tastes. When the gustatory functions were evaluated according to BMI classification, it was determined that underweight participants had a higher sour taste score than the obese ones. Multiple regression analysis revealed that age, MNA score, PSQI score, and gender accounted for a total of 20.4% of the variance in the sweet taste score. Conclusions: Determining the relationship between taste function, nutritional status, and sleep quality in older adults is important in terms of developing new strategies for older adults who have these problems.

Somatosensory and Gustatory Profiling in the Orofacial Region

Quantitative sensory testing (QST) is a standard procedure in medicine to describe sensory patterns in various pathologies. The aim of this prospective clinical study was to define reference values of the trigeminal nerve (V3), including taste qualities, to create a compatibility for sensory loss or gain in pathologies. Fifty-one patients were included, and a standardized testing battery with 11 QST parameters according to the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain (DFNS) was applied complemented by quantitative gustatory assessments. Significant somatosensory differences were found between the test sites (MDT at the chin, WDT at the lower lip) but no effect was detected for gender, age, and between body types. Taste sensitivity was dependent on concentration, gender (females being more sensitive) and increasing age (for bitter and sour taste). We provide reference values for somatosensory and gustatory testing of the facial area. Our data facilitate the detection of neurosensory abnormalities in the orofacial region. This might also serve as a control setting for COVID-19.

Inter-individual characteristics on basic taste recognition thresholds in a college-aged cohort: potential predictive factors

Studying nutritional status from the perspective of taste sensitivity, rather than only dietary patterns, may provide new insights into the role of taste receptor signaling in the development of metabolic-associated diseases. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the possible influence of sociodemographic (sex and smoking habit) and clinical variables (dental cavities, missing teeth, sinusitis, rhinitis, body mass index and metabolic high prevalence family antecedent diseases) on tastant (sucrose, monosodium glutamate, sodium chloride, citric acid, quinine, sinigrin, phenylthiocarbamide) recognition thresholds (RTs) in a college-aged cohort (n = 397). Predictive models for the tastant RTs were generated and a higher sucrose RT was found in females than in males, while sinusitis and rhinitis explained sucrose and sodium chloride RTs. Smoking habit was not an important predictive factor of taste sensitivity, although its long-term influence on RTs remains unclear. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between all the tastant RTs studied. Although results did not show a clear pattern, the statistical approach employed should prove useful in future studies of predictors of taste sensitivity.

Comparison of Chinese and American subjects on the self-administered Waterless Empirical Taste Test

Cultural differences have been reported between the taste sensitivity of persons of Asian and European ancestry, although findings have been mixed. This study sought to determine whether American and Chinese adults perform differently on a novel taste test that requires no water, can be self-administered, and employs a representative of umami as one of its tastants. This 53-trial test was administered to 113 Chinese and 214 Americans. The subjects orally sampled monomer cellulose pads containing one of four dried concentrations of sucrose, citric acid, NaCl, caffeine, and monosodium glutamate and indicated whether a sweet, sour, bitter, salty, brothy, or no taste sensation was perceived. Separate gender by culture analyses of covariance with age as the covariate were performed on the total score and the scores of each taste stimulus. For all taste qualities, women outperformed men and test scores declined with age. No difference between American and Chinese subjects was found for the total taste score (p = .129) or for the sucrose (p = .129) or NaCl (p = .368) scores. However, for monosodium glutamate, the scores were 28.40% higher for the Chinese than for the American subjects (p = .024), and for citric acid and caffeine, the scores were 24.12 and 21.79% higher for the American subjects (p's = .001 and .029). The basis for these differences is unclear, although both anatomical (e.g., differences in density or distribution of taste buds) and cultural factors may be involved. Future work is needed to determine the cause of these largely novel findings and whether they generalize to other Chinese and American samples. Practical applicationsIn this study, a practical self-administered quantitative taste test that requires no water was found to be sensitive to quality-specific differences in test scores between Chinese and American subjects, as well as to age and gender. The Chinese subjects outperformed the American subjects in correctly identifying the quality of monosodium glutamate (umami), whereas the American subjects outperformed Chinese subjects in correctly identifying the bitter and sour qualities of caffeine and citric acid, respectively. Experiential factors related to culture-specific cuisines may explain some of these differences. This research indicates that a relatively rapid taste test, which can be sent through the mail and which requires no test administrator or source of water, can be used in cross-cultural studies to elucidate individual differences in taste perception.

Mechanical tongue cleaning is a worthwhile procedure to improve the taste sensation

BACKGROUND

There are still only a few therapeutic strategies to improve taste sensation, which is part of oral health and quality of life.

OBJECTIVE

Therefore, here we aimed to investigate gustatory functions of healthy subjects performing mechanical tongue cleaning (MTC), an easy-to-perform oral hygiene procedure, to demonstrate taste changes and to describe possible negative side effects.

METHODS

Prior to and 14 days following MTC with an Orabrush^® , the following tests were conducted in 65 healthy participants including both non-smokers (n = 50, 76.9%) and smokers (n = 15, 23.1%): 'taste strips' test, the Winkel Tongue Coating Index (WTCI), and subjective self-assessment.

RESULTS

Among non-smokers, subjective self-assessments of gustatory function (P < .01), halitosis (P = .03) and tongue coating (P < .01) improved after 14 days of MTC; furthermore, they exhibited higher total taste (P < .01) and lower WTCI (P < .01) values. Their age and sex did not correlate with the differences between the pre- and post-MTC WTCI scores; however, differences between pre- and post-MTC total taste values were correlated with age. The total taste value improvements were greater in non-smokers aged 45-91 years than in those aged 20-44 years (P = .01). In smokers, total taste values (P < .01), as well as sweet (P = .03) and sour (P = .04) taste values, were significantly improved after 14 days of MTC.

CONCLUSION

Fourteen days of MTC using an Orabrush^® can improve gustatory functions in non-smokers and smokers. Therefore, MTC might be a useful, costless and easy option to improve taste and should be considered as a part of the daily oral care.

Aging Decreases Chorda-Tympani Nerve Responses to NaCl and Alters Morphology of Fungiform Taste Pores in Rats

Sensory processing is susceptible to decline with age. The sense of taste is, however, generally thought to be resistant to aging. We investigated how chorda-tympani nerve responses and fungiform-taste pores are affected by aging in the Sprague-Dawley rat, a model system for salt taste. First, we measured chorda-tympani nerve responses to NH4Cl and NaCl solutions in young (3-5 months old) and aged (14-15 months old) rats. Aged rats had significantly attenuated chorda-tympani responses to 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, and 0.3 M NaCl, whereas responses to NH4Cl were statistically similar between age groups. Second, we investigated if fungiform papillae, which harbor taste buds innervated by the chorda-tympani nerve, were affected by aging in "young" (4-7 months old) and "aged" ("aged1" 18 months old and "aged2" 24-28 months old) rats. Using scanning electron microscopy, we found that aging significantly reduced morphological characteristics associated with intact fungiform-taste pores (hillock, rim, pore presence, and open pore). We conclude that the structure and function of the peripheral-taste system may not be as resistant to aging as previously reported.

Bitter, Sweet, Salty, Sour and Umami Taste Perception Decreases with Age: Sex-Specific Analysis, Modulation by Genetic Variants and Taste-Preference Associations in 18 to 80 Year-Old Subjects

There is growing interest in relating taste perception to diet and healthy aging. However, there is still limited information on the influence of age, sex and genetics on taste acuity as well as on the relationship between taste perception and taste preferences. We have analysed the influence of age on the intensity rating of the five basic tastes: sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami (separately and jointly in a “total taste score”) and their modulation by sex and genetics in a relatively healthy population (men and women) aged 18–80 years (n = 1020 Caucasian European participants). Taste perception was determined by challenging subjects with solutions of the five basic tastes using standard prototypical tastants (6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), NaCl, sucrose, monopotassium glutamate and citric acid) at 5 increasing concentrations (I to V). We also measured taste preferences and determined the polymorphisms of the genes taste 2 receptor member 38 (TAS2R38), taste 1 receptor member 2 (TAS2R38) and sodium channel epithelial 1 beta subunit (SCNN1B), as TAS2R38-rs713598, TAS1R2-rs35874116 and SCNN1B-rs239345 respectively. We found a statistically significant decrease in taste perception (“total taste score”) with increasing age for all the concentrations analysed. This association was stronger for the higher concentrations (p = 0.028; p = 0.012; p = 0.005; p = 4.20 × 10⁻⁵ and p = 1.48 × 10⁻⁷, for I to V in the multivariable-adjusted models). When we analysed taste qualities (using concentration V), the intensity rating of all the 5 tastes was diminished with age (p < 0.05 for all). This inverse association differed depending on the test quality, being higher for bitter (PROP) and sour. Women perceived taste significantly more intense than men (p = 1.4 × 10⁻⁸ for total taste score). However, there were differences depending on the taste, umami being the lowest (p = 0.069). There was a complex association between the ability to perceive a taste and the preference for the same. Significant associations were, nevertheless, found between a higher perception of sour taste and a higher preference for it in women. In contrast, the higher perception of sweet was significantly associated with a higher preference for bitter in both, men and women. The TAS2R38-rs713598 was strongly associated with bitter (PROP) taste (p = 1.38 × 10⁻⁵⁰), having a significant interaction with sex (p = 0.030). The TAS1R2-rs35874116 was not significantly associated with sweet, whereas the SCNN1B-rs239345 was associated (p = 0.040) with salty taste. In conclusion, the inverse association between age and perceived taste intensity as well as the additional influence of sex and some genetic polymorphisms give rise to large inter-individual differences in taste perception and taste preferences that should be taken into account in future studies and for applications in precision nutrition for healthy aging.

Transient sex differences during adolescence on auditory perceptual tasks

Many perceptual abilities differ between the sexes. Because these sex differences have been documented almost exclusively in adults, they have been attributed to sex-specific neural circuitry that emerges during development and is maintained in the mature perceptual system. To investigate whether behavioral sex differences in perception can also have other origins, we compared performance between males and females ranging in age from 8 to 30 years on auditory temporal-interval discrimination and tone-in-noise detection tasks on which there are no sex differences in adults. If sex differences in perception arise only from the establishment and subsequent maintenance of sex-specific neural circuitry, there should be no sex differences during development on these tasks. In contrast, sex differences emerged in adolescence but resolved by adulthood on two of the six conditions, with signs of a similar pattern on a third condition. In each case, males reached mature performance earlier than females, resulting in a sex difference in the interim. These results suggest that sex differences in perception may arise from differences in the maturational timing of common circuitry used by both sexes. They also imply that sex differences in perceptual abilities may be more prevalent than previously thought based on adult data alone.

Multidimensional Evaluation of Endogenous and Health Factors Affecting Food Preferences, Taste and Smell Perception

OBJECTIVE

This study, by taking a holistic approach, investigates the relationships between taste, smell sensitivity and food preference with prognostic (endogenous and health) factors including age, gender, genetic taste markers, body mass, cigarette smoking, and number of drugs used.

DESIGN

Cross sectional study.

SETTING

Northern Italy.

PARTICIPANTS

203 healthy subjects (160 women/43 men; mean age: 58.2±19.8 years) were examined.

MEASUREMENTS

Individual taste sensitivity was determined by saccharose, sodium chloride, acetic acid and caffeine solutions and by 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) responsiveness test. Olfactory sensitivity has been assessed by «Sniffin' Sticks». Four tag Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in regions of interest were genotyped. Factor analysis and multivariate regression were performed for scaling food preferences and screening prognostic factors, respectively.

RESULTS

Increasing age is associated with decreased responsiveness to NaCl (P=0.001), sweet solutions (P=0.044), and smell perception (P<0.001). Concerning the food preferences, elderly like the "vegetables" and "fruits" but dislike "spicy" more than younger. Regarding number of drugs taken, there is a significant negative effect on smell perception (P<0.001). In addition, drugs reduce both the "vegetables foods" score (P=0.002) and the "milk-product foods" score (P=0.027). With respect to Body Mass Index (BMI), only a significant effect was shown, on sweet perception (P=0.006). Variation in taste receptor genes can give rise to differential perception of sweet, acid and bitter tastes. No effect of gender and smoking was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggested that age, genetic markers, BMI and drugs use are the factors which affect taste and smell perception and food preferences.

Influences of age, tongue region, and chorda tympani nerve sectioning on signal detection measures of lingual taste sensitivity

Although the ability to taste is critical for ingestion, nutrition, and quality of life, a clear understanding of the influences of age, sex, and chorda tympani (CT) resection on taste function in different regions of the anterior tongue is generally lacking. In this study we employed criterion-free signal detection analysis to assess electric and chemical taste function on multiple tongue regions in normal individuals varying in age and sex and in patients with unilateral CT resections. The subjects were 33 healthy volunteers, ranging from 18 to 87 years of age, and 9 persons, 27 to 77 years of age, with unilateral CT lesions. The influences of age, sex, tongue region, and chorda tympani resections on signal detection sensitivity (d') and response bias (β) measures was assessed in 16 tongue regions to weak electric currents and solutions of sucrose, sodium chloride, and caffeine. Significant age-related decrements in d' were found for sucrose (p=0.012), sodium chloride (p=0.002), caffeine (p=0.006), and electric current (EC) (p=0.0001). Significant posterior to anterior, and medial to lateral, gradients of increasing performance were present for most stimuli. β was larger on the anterior than the posterior tongue for the electrical stimulus in the youngest subjects, whereas the opposite was true for sucrose in the oldest subjects. No sex differences were apparent. d' was depressed ipsilateral to the CT lesion side to varying degrees in all tongue regions, with the weakest influences occurring on the medial and anterior tongue. CT did not meaningfully influence β. This study is the first to employ signal detection analysis to assess the regional sensitivity of the tongue to chemical and electrical stimuli. It clearly demonstrates that tongue regions differ from one another in terms of their age-related sensitivity and their susceptibility to CT lesions.

Changes in taste perception and eating behavior after bariatric surgery-induced weight loss in women

OBJECTIVE

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery causes greater weight loss than laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). We tested the hypothesis that RYGB has weight loss-independent effects on taste perception, which influence eating behavior and contribute to the greater weight loss.

METHODS

Subjects were studied before and after ∼20% weight loss induced by RYGB (n = 17) or LAGB (n = 10). The following have been evaluated: taste sensitivity for sweet, salty and savory stimuli, sucrose and monosodium glutamate (MSG) preferences, sweetness palatability, eating behavior, and expression of taste-related genes in biopsies of fungiform papillae.

RESULTS

Weight loss induced by both procedures caused the same decrease in: preferred sucrose concentration (-12 ± 10%), perceived sweetness of sucrose (-7 ± 5%), cravings for sweets and fast-foods (-22 ± 5%), influence of emotions (-27 ± 5%), and external food cues (-30 ± 4%) on eating behavior, and expression of α-gustducin in fungiform papillae (all P values <0.05). RYGB, but not LAGB, shifted sweetness palatability from pleasant to unpleasant when repetitively tasting sucrose (P = 0.05). Neither procedure affected taste detection thresholds nor MSG preferences.

CONCLUSIONS

LAGB and RYGB cause similar alterations in eating behaviors, when weight loss is matched. These changes in eating behavior were not associated with changes in taste sensitivity, suggesting other, as yet unknown, mechanisms are involved.

The impact of oral health on taste ability in acutely hospitalized elderly

Objective

To investigate to what extent various oral health variables are associated with taste ability in acutely hospitalized elderly.

Background

Impaired taste may contribute to weight loss in elderly. Many frail elderly have poor oral health characterized by caries, poor oral hygiene, and dry mouth. However, the possible influence of such factors on taste ability in acutely hospitalized elderly has not been investigated.

Materials and Methods

The study was cross-sectional. A total of 174 (55 men) acutely hospitalized elderly, coming from their own homes and with adequate cognitive function, were included. Dental status, decayed teeth, oral bacteria, oral hygiene, dry mouth and tongue changes were recorded. Growth of oral bacteria was assessed with CRT® Bacteria Kit. Taste ability was evaluated with 16 taste strips impregnated with sweet, sour, salty and bitter taste solutions in 4 concentrations each. Correct identification was given score 1, and maximum total taste score was 16.

Results

Mean age was 84 yrs. (range 70–103 yrs.). Total taste score was significantly and markedly reduced in patients with decayed teeth, poor oral hygiene, high growth of oral bacteria and dry mouth. Sweet and salty taste were particularly impaired in patients with dry mouth. Sour taste was impaired in patients with high growth of oral bacteria.

Conclusion

This study shows that taste ability was reduced in acutely hospitalized elderly with caries activity, high growth of oral bacteria, poor oral hygiene, and dry mouth. Our findings indicate that good oral health is important for adequate gustatory function. Maintaining proper oral hygiene in hospitalized elderly should therefore get high priority among hospital staff.

Gustation

Much has been discovered over the last few decades about the anatomy and physiology of the human taste system, most notably its receptor mechanisms and intermodal factors that influence its function. While the taste system works in concert with the olfactory, somatosensory, auditory, and visual sensory systems to establish the overall gestalt of flavor, its primary specialization is to ensure that the organism obtains energy, maintains proper electrolyte balance, and avoids ingestion of toxic substances. Despite its focus on inborn functions, taste-like its sister sense of smell-is remarkably malleable, reflecting the need to adapt to changing circumstances and general nutrient availability. It is now widely appreciated that taste dysfunction is common in many diseases and disorders, and is a frequent side effect of a number of medications. This interdisciplinary review examines salient aspects of the human gustatory system, including its anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology. WIREs Cogn Sci 2012, 3:29-46. doi: 10.1002/wcs.156 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

Gustatory and olfactory dysfunction in older adults: a national probability study

BACKGROUND

Olfactory and gustatory functions have not been well characterized in older adults in the US. Consequently, their relationships to sociodemographic characteristics, as well as physical and mental health, were studied in a large national probability sample using brief validated tests of chemosensory function.

METHODS

A five-odour identification test and taste-impregnated strips of filter paper (sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) assessed the ability to identify chemosensory stimuli.

RESULTS

Severe gustatory dysfunction was more prevalent than severe olfactory dysfunction. Age, education and sex were independently associated with performance on both the olfactory and gustatory identification tasks. Higher scores were associated with female sex, higher level of education, and lower age. Odour identification scores exhibited a positive, albeit weak, correlation with BMI, and food-related odours were better identified than non-food odours. In addition, odour identification performance was also negatively associated with depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

These data demonstrate a high prevalence of severe gustatory and, to a somewhat lesser extent, olfactory dysfunction in a population-based sample and demonstrate that even brief tests are capable of detecting correlations between both chemical senses and relevant health measures outside a clinical setting.

Thermal taste, PROP responsiveness, and perception of oral sensations

Differences between 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) taster groups have long been the focus of studies on individual variation in perception of oral sensation. Recently, "thermal taste" was described, the phenomenon whereby some individuals perceive "phantom" taste sensations after thermal stimulation of small areas of the tongue. As with PROP taster status (PTS), thermal taster status (TTS) has been proposed as a proxy for general responsiveness to oral stimuli. Here we examined the influence of PTS and TTS, independently, on the perceived intensity of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent, and metallic stimuli, and temperature on heating or cooling the tongue. Interactions between PTS and TTS were also examined, and fungiform papillae (FP) density and salivary flow rate (SFR) were determined. Both PTS and TTS were associated with perceived stimulus intensities. PROP super-tasters (pSTs) rated all oral stimuli as more intense than PROP non-tasters (pNTs). Thermal tasters (TTs) gave higher logged ratings than thermal non-tasters (TnTs) for all oral sensations including temperature, with the exception of metallic flavour (at low concentration) and PROP. Examination of ETA-squared values showed that PTS had a greater effect on perceived intensities than did TTS for most sensations. No PTSTTS interaction was found for any oral stimuli. In contrast with PTS, TTS was not associated with FP density, and neither PTS nor TTS were associated with SFR. We conclude that pSTs and TTs possess greater responsiveness across a range of taste and trigeminal stimuli and concentrations.

Gustatory function after microlaryngoscopy

CONCLUSION

Quantitative gustatory alterations are rare after microlaryngoscopy (MLS), whereas transient qualitative taste distortions occur more often. Patients undergoing MLS should know that mild but transient qualitative taste disorders may occur.

OBJECTIVE

Suspension MLS requires neck extension and tongue compression. Little is known about taste disorders following MLS. To investigate qualitative and quantitative gustatory function after MLS we tested and questioned patients before and several weeks after the MLS.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

This was a prospective controlled study carried out in a tertiary care centre. Forty-three patients participated, 33 of whom underwent MLS and 10 septoplasty. Tongue compression time was recorded during MLS. Patients received taste evaluation before and at 1 and 14 days after the intervention. Patients were asked to indicate subjectively changed taste perceptions.

RESULTS

Psychophysical (quantitative) taste results showed no significant differences before and at 1 and 14 days after the intervention (p = 0.60). Tongue compression time (MLS group) had no influence on measured post-MLS taste scores. In the MLS group four patients reported distorted taste perception the day after the MLS, whereas no patient in the septoplasty group did so. In all, four patients distorted taste perception, had disappeared after 14 days.

Factors associated with taste dissatisfaction in the elderly

The purpose of this study was to investigate taste sensation in the elderly, and to determine relationships between subjective dissatisfaction with taste ability and factors such as age, gender and oral status among independently living elderly individuals. Participants were older adults (mean age, 66.0 +/- 4.2 years; 321 men and 319 women) voluntarily attending a Senior Citizen Educational Program supported by local government in 2003 and 2004. The questionnaire included self-assessed items on general health, dry mouth, chewing satisfaction and taste satisfaction. Respondents underwent investigation of salivary flow rate, dental status and gustatory testing using the filter-paper disc method for sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Chi-squared tests showed that the factors associated with dissatisfaction with taste ability were older age, dissatisfaction with chewing, dry mouth during eating and wearing dentures covering the entire hard palate. The sensation for each taste was not significantly related to taste satisfaction by chi-squared test. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that dry mouth during eating, dentures covering the entire hard palate, dissatisfaction with chewing and discriminatory threshold for the sour taste were associated with dissatisfaction with taste ability. We found a significant association between subjective taste dissatisfaction and certain oral factors; hence, when patients complain about diminished taste, dentists must assess oral status as well as taste sensation.

Evaluation of gustatory function in postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to evaluate the gustatory function in postmenopausal women.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Whole mouth taste test and spatial taste test were administered to 20 postmenopausal women (Group 1) and 20 age-matched male subjects (Group 2). Further investigations were carried out for subjective assessment of taste alteration and nutritional differences between premenopausal and postmenopausal periods.

RESULTS

There was a significant reduction in sucrose perception and in palatal sensitivity in postmenopausal women (p<0.05). Only 7(35%) of the female patients noticed alteration in taste perception during the postmenopausal period. Alteration in dietary habits after menopause was reported by 9 (45%) patients.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that taste perception of the tongue does not change, but that there is a disorder in palatal perception in postmenopausal women. Furthermore, there is tendency to preference of sweeter foods during menopause.

Effects of age and removable artificial dentition on taste

Sodium chloride and sucrose gustatory recognition thresholds, suprathreshold taste intensity function, and sucrose suprathreshold taste preference in healthy adult males with removable artificial dentition were compared with persons having natural dentition. In addition, several inorganic salivary constituents were evaluated for their possible relationship with these modalities. The 75 participants studied were divided into two age and two dentition groups: less than 65 years versus 65 years and older; and natural dentition only versus either removable partial dentures or complete artificial dentition. Recognition threshold and suprathreshold psychophysical functions were assessed using aqueous solutions of sodium chloride and sucrose. Suprathreshold hedonic judgments were also determined for sucrose. Samples of stimulated parotid saliva were analyzed for sodium, potassium, and bicarbonate. As age increased, a statistically significant decrease was noted in the exponent of the psychophysical function for sodium chloride. A similar, but nonsignificant, trend was observed for sucrose, which was complicated by an interaction between age and dentition status. For sodium chloride, recognition thresholds tended to be higher for older persons with removable partial and complete dentures. However, no statistically significant effect was observed on the sucrose threshold or hedonic response as a result of dentition status. Analysis of several parotid saliva constituents showed no statistically significant effect caused by age or dentition status and correlations noted among the psychophysical measures appeared to be fortuitous.