Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Taste Disorders”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

PROP (6-n-propylthiouracil) supertasters and the saltiness of NaCl.

Taste blindness to phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) and its chemical relative 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) was discovered in the 1930s. Family studies showed that those who could not taste PTC/PROP (nontasters) carried two recessive alleles. In recent years, we have classified tasters into two groups: medium (PROP is moderately bitter) and supertasters (PROP is intensely bitter). With our classification, approximately 25% of Americans are nontasters, 50%, medium tasters, and 25%, supertasters. Studies showed that supertasters form a cohesive group. Anatomical studies showed that supertasters have the most fungiform papillae. Psychophysical studies showed that supertasters perceive the most intense bitterness and sweetness from a variety of compounds, the most intense burn from oral irritants, and the most intense tactile sensations from viscous solutions. Oral burn and touch are presumably perceived to be the most intense to supertasters because taste buds in fungiform papillae are innervated by the trigeminal nerve (pain, touch) as well as the chorda tympani nerve (taste). The psychophysical scaling method used was magnitude matching with NaCl as the control modality. With this method, subjects rated the intensities of a series of NaCl and PROP solutions. The assumption that the taste of NaCl did not vary with PROP status allowed comparisons of the bitterness of PROP across subjects. Early magnitude matching studies, using sound as the control, had suggested that this assumption was reasonable. However, recent studies challenged that conclusion. Larger samples with more diverse populations, using sound as the control, showed that the taste of NaCl varied with PROP bitterness; supertasters perceived the strongest taste and nontasters, the weakest. Thus our earlier conclusions were conservative because differences between nontasters, medium tasters, and supertasters were concealed by using NaCl as a standard. Using magnitude matching with sound as the standard, or using the Green scale, which employs intensity labels, we found that the differences between PROP groups are larger. Note that the association between PROP status and salt taste is interesting in itself, since variability in salt taste may have important nutritional consequences.

Humans↗
PubMed1998

Sensory responses to 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) or sucrose solutions and food preferences in young women.

Genetic sensitivity to the bitter taste of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) has been linked with a greater number of food aversions and reported rejection of some bitter foods. Healthy young women (n = 121) were divided into nontasters, tasters and supertasters of PROP according to their PROP detection thresholds and the ratio of intensity ratings of PROP versus NaCl solutions. Hedonic response profiles to sucrose solutions distinguished between likers and dislikers of sweet. All subjects completed a 171-item food preference checklist. Food preference data were reduced by factor analyses, subscales of which were tested for reliability using Cronbach's alpha. Greater PROP sensitivity was associated with lower acceptance of coffee, cruciferous vegetables, tart citrus fruit, dark breads, and selected fats. In contrast, liking for sucrose solutions was linked to liking for sugar in tea and coffee, but not to any special pattern of food acceptance. Strategies aimed at increasing the consumption of grains, vegetables, and fruit should consider the role of inherited taste makers and their potential impact on dietary habits.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Psychophysical measurement of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) taste perception.

The ability to taste 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) is genetically determined. PROP tastes moderately bitter to 'medium tasters' (MT), intensely bitter to 'supertasters' (ST), and tasteless to 'nontasters' (NT). The psychophysical method used to characterize PROP status should capture the entire range of perception, while minimizing context, ceiling and other effects. Magnitude estimation successfully captures the variability in PROP perception, but requires normalization and may be difficult to conduct in industrial settings. Two labeled scales were tested as part of three separate studies (S1, S2 and S3) to measure perceived intensity of PROP and sweeteners. All studies included reportedly healthy volunteers aged 21-62 years recruited at Cultor Food Science in Groton, CT. In S1 [n = 163 (55 males, 108 females)], subjects rated perceived intensity of PROP-saturated paper and sucrose (1.0 M) on the Labeled Magnitude (Green) Scale (LMS) [labeled line with descriptors (no taste--strongest imaginable)]. In S2 [n = 152 (49 males, 103 females)], subjects rated perceived intensity of sucrose (1.0 M) and PROP solutions (0.001 M, 0.0032 M) on the LMS. In S3 [n = 136 (48 males, 88 females)], subjects rated perceived intensity of sucrose (1.0 M) and PROP solutions (0.001 M, 0.0032 M) on a 9-point category scale (1 = not at all; 9 = extremely). In all experiments, water rinses were included between each tastant and PROP was the final stimulus. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and ANOVA. In S1 and S2, those with higher PROP perception perceived sucrose more intensely [(S1: r = 0.32; p < 0.001); (S2: r = 0.25; p < 0.01)]. A higher frequency of females were ST than males. Also, the PROP effect on sweet perception was most evident in female ST. This apparent sex difference may be the result of hormonal variation associated with menstruation. As well, in S1 and S2 subjects aged 20-40 years, females had significantly greater variance among sucrose intensity ratings than males (F = 3.66; p < 0.01), which may be due to hormonal changes with menses. The S3 results failed to show either the positive correlation between PROP and sucrose perception or the sex difference. Thus of the two labeled scales, the LMS appears to be better for assessing PROP perception, as it is continuous and also minimizes ceiling effects. Future research will extend these studies by including sucrose and high intensity sweetener concentration series.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Sensory and motor deficits in the elderly: impact on oral health.

Hearing, vision, orthopedic, and speech disorders are the most common impairments in the elderly. Older adults experience other sensory impairments such as olfactory and gustatory dysfunction, as well as oral motor problems including difficulty with mastication, speech, and swallowing. These disorders can directly affect oral health and can impair dental treatment. Therefore, it is imperative that dental health practitioners be cognizant of these conditions and aware of the impact these conditions and their treatments can have on oral health and function. Dental professionals may need to use different communication techniques for patients with vision or hearing losses. Accommodations in the dental office and by dental professionals will help older patients who have sensory and/or motor impairments to preserve their oral health and function and receive dental treatments in a safe and efficacious manner. This paper reviews the most common causes of sensory and motor impairments and their implications for oral health care with treatment modification guidelines for the older patient.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Taste acuity, plasma zinc levels, and weight loss during radiotherapy: a study of relationships.

Thirty-five patients who were to undergo radiotherapy and 13 normal subjects were evaluated with taste questionnaires, taste acuity tests, and plasma zinc analyses. The studies were repeated on the patients in the fifth week of radiotherapy. The mean taste thresholds for NaCl (salt), sucrose (sweet), HCl (sour), and urea (bitter) were elevated and the plasma zinc levels were lower (77.2 +/- 11.8 vs. 94.6 +/- 30.1 g/100 ml, p = 0.055) for the patients than for the controls. However, there was not a significant correlation between the taste thresholds and plasma zinc levels at any time. The mean weight loss experienced by the 14 patients who reported subjective taste alteration in the fifth week was 3.1 kg versus 0.1 kg (p = 0.005) for those who did not report taste alteration. The data suggest that alterations in taste acuity, but not plasma zinc levels, are associated with weight loss during radiotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical evaluation of taste dysfunction using a salt-impregnated taste strip.

We have used special tests to investigate taste function in detail. To evaluate acuity for a salty taste, we used a paper with salt crystals, Salsave. The procedure is simple and takes only a few minutes. We analyzed the relationships between the magnitude of the threshold of response to this test and the results of other taste function tests in 126 patients who visited our clinic. The mean magnitude of the response to Salsave significantly correlated with the results of other taste tests. Thus, this is a useful method for screening the detection and recognition threshold of a salty taste.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Phenylthiocarbamide perception in patients with schizophrenia and first-degree family members.

OBJECTIVE: The inability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) has been associated with medical and neurological illnesses not typically related to taste. The authors examined PTC sensitivity in schizophrenia patients and their non-ill relatives to determine whether this represented a vulnerability marker. METHOD: PTC sensitivity was assessed in 42 schizophrenia patients, 23 healthy comparison subjects, and 12 first-degree relatives of the patients. RESULTS: More nontasters were found among patients and family members than healthy comparison subjects. Among patients, nontasters had more positive symptoms. Differences were not explained by sex, age, medication, smoking, or cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of PTC nontasters was greater among schizophrenia patients and non-ill first-degree family members. Phenotypic variation in PTC sensitivity is genetic in origin. This suggests a higher risk for illness among subjects with recessive alleles.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Primary taste thresholds in children with leukemia undergoing marrow transplantation.

Taste threshold for the four basic tastes were determined to assess taste impairments in 11 children with acute leukemia undergoing marrow transplantation and in 20 normal children. Thresholds were measured on admission, 2 days, and 45 days after transplant using the Up-Down Staircase method. No significant difference was noted between patients at admission and the control group for sweet, bitter, or salt. There was a significant difference between patients and controls for the sour threshold (p = 0.006). Patient threshold values on day 2 and day 45 (posttransplant were compared with admission values. No significant differences were seen, except for the salt threshold which was increased at day 2 posttransplant when compared with the admission values. We conclude that only minor changes in taste thresholds were demonstrated in this study. These changes probably do not account for abnormal food tastes reported by patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Genetics of human taste perception.

Genetic approaches are rapidly yielding new information about our sense of taste. This information comes from both molecular studies of genes encoding taste receptors and other taste-signaling components, and from studies of inherited variation in taste abilities. Our understanding of bitter taste has advanced by combined information from discovery and study of the TAS2R family of taste receptor genes, hand in hand with genetic linkage and positional cloning studies, notably on the ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). Sweet and umami tastes, mediated by TAS1R receptors, are becoming well-characterized at the molecular genetic level, and these taste classes are now targets for linkage, positional cloning, and genetic association strategies. Salty and sour tastes are still poorly characterized in genetic terms, and represent opportunities for the future.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

The effect of unilateral chorda tympani damage on taste.

Patients with localized damage to the taste system often experience no subjective change in real-world taste experience. In an effort to understand this, eight patients who recently underwent acoustic neuroma removal were evaluated for taste loss. Localized taste testing showed that taste intensities decreased in the distribution of cranial nerve VII ipsilateral to tumor removal as expected, but asymmetries occurred for IX. Intensities were greater on the side contralateral to the tumor removal. In addition, palatal taste, also thought to be mediated by VII, was not totally abolished. It is concluded that cranial nerve IX is normally inhibited by cranial nerve VII in the taste network. When VII is damaged, this inhibition is abolished. This release of inhibition serves as a compensation mechanism that preserves normal taste experience.

Chorda Tympani Nerve↗
PubMed2000

Diagnosis of acromegaly in orofacial pain: two case reports.

Acromegaly is an uncommon condition, with an annual incidence in the UK of three per million. The gradual onset of the clinical features mean that often friends and relatives are unaware of the underlying pathology. In view of the morbidity, and indeed mortality, arising from undiagnosed cases, general dental practitioners and other healthcare workers should routinely take note of systemic as well as intra-oral changes occurring in their patients when seen on review. The association of paraesthesia, anaesthesia and pain with acromegaly is well documented. However, there appear to be few reports linking acromegaly with orofacial pain or dysaesthesia. This paper describes two such cases.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1996

Altered taste sensation in newly-diagnosed NIDDM.

OBJECTIVE: To assess gustatory appreciation in newly diagnosed NIDDM patients and to determine whether it altered with the improvement of glycemic control after treatment with diet and oral hypoglycemic drugs. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Assessments of taste, peripheral and autonomic neural function, diet, and oral microbiological flora were performed in 20 patients before and after treatment of hyperglycemia, 20 matched nondiabetic control subjects, and 11 patients with long duration of diabetes and advanced peripheral neuropathy. RESULTS: Median total HbA1 fell from 12.6 to 8.8% in new diabetic patients after 3-5 months of treatment. Electrical taste thresholds, detection threshold for glucose, and recognition threshold for glucose and salt were increased in newly-diagnosed NIDDM patients compared with the control subjects. The dose-response curve to glucose (using a visual analogue scale [VAS]) of newly-diagnosed NIDDM patients was significantly impaired and improved after treatment. By contrast, newly-diagnosed NIDDM patients had normal VAS taste responses to fructose, salt, and urea. Measurements of somatic and autonomic nerve function did not correlate with electrical or chemical taste function. CONCLUSIONS: Newly-diagnosed NIDDM patients have a blunted taste response, which displays a degree of specificity to glucose, is partially reversed after correction of hyperglycemia, and is independent of somatic or autonomic nerve function. This taste abnormality may influence the premorbid choice of nutrients, with a preference for sweet-tasting foods, thereby exacerbating hyperglycemia.

Autonomic Nervous System Diseases↗
PubMed1990

[Nutrition in the elderly].

It is well known that nutrition plays an important role in the maintenance of health through the whole life. Especially, nutrition in the elderly is thought to be necessary for keeping their life comfortable. How much calories should be needed in the elderly? In our country, daily allowance of total calories is 1600 kcal in male and 1400 kcal in female in seventh decade respectively. 1460 kcal in male and 1270 kcal in female over eighty years old are recommended respectively. Protein requirement is about 0.6 g/kg of body weight. Fat should be kept as it is. Vitamin and mineral are the another important factors. We investigated the levels of serum vitamin B1 (B1) and B12 (B12) in 26 elderly out-patients. B1 and B12 are within normal ranges and there is no tendency to decline with age. Serum Zinc (Zn) is one of microelements and its deficiency is thought to cause the taste disorder. In 126 male subjects, Zn decreased significantly with aging. Zn correlated with serum total protein and albumin. There exists some discrepancy in the food habits between the old and the young: Dietary habits is Japanese style in the former and Western one in the latter. Recently as the old people are increasing in population, those who complain of difficulty in swallowing food are also increasing. In these cases, we should apply the artificial feeding such as central venous hyperalimentation, nasogastric and gastro-fistula feeding, etc. And ratio of these artificial food intake will increase in the near future.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Reliability of electrogustatory threshold--electrogustometry using CNV].

CNV (contingent negative variation), an event-related potential, is induced when an oncoming imperative stimulus (S2) is anticipated after recognition of a warning stimulus (S1). With this in mind, we assessed the usefulness of electrogustometry using CNV as an objective gustatory test with an electric gustatory stimulus as a warning stimulus, S1. A gustatory test was performed on a total of 100 sides of the tongue in 50 subjects. Excluding no response cases on 5 sides in 5 subjects, the CNV threshold was successfully determined on 95 sides in 50 subjects. When the CNV threshold values obtained and the conventionally measured subjective threshold values were compared, a very high correlation was demonstrated between the two thresholds, with a correlation coefficient of 0.961. To assess the reliability of the CNV threshold, three additional measurements on 5 sides in 5 subjects with normal subjective threshold values were performed on different days, and the CNV threshold value variation among the three measurements in all 5 subjects never exceeded 13 microA. Separately, subjective threshold and CNV threshold values were compared in 4 patients with facial palsy (hence with gustatory abnormality) who consented to a follow-up examination. The difference between the subjective threshold and CNV threshold values in all 4 patients never exceeded 10 microA. These findings demonstrate that the reliability of the CNV threshold is satisfactory. Next, a gustatory imitation experiment was performed to assess the usefulness of electrogustometry using CNV as a means of detecting gustatory abnormality malingering. The experiment was performed on a total of 6 subjects: 3 physicians with knowledge of CNV (knowledge group) and 3 others with no knowledge of CNV (no-knowledge group). The differences between the imitated threshold and the subjective threshold values in all of these subjects never exceeded 10 microA, and the difference between imitated threshold and CNV threshold values never exceeded 13 microA. Comparison between the knowledge group and the no-knowledge groups showed that the imitated threshold values were very close to the subjective threshold and CNV threshold values. Based on the above results, it was concluded that gustometry using CNV is useful and can serve well as a method of objective evaluation of gustatory sensation. The results also suggested that it will be useful in diagnosing malingering.

Adolescent↗