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Electrical taste detection thresholds and chemical smell detection thresholds in patients with cancer.

Taste sensation in patients with cancer has previously been studied with the cumbersome method of chemical gustometry, which have produced inconsistent results. In this study taste thresholds were determined with the simple and reliable technique of electrogustometry in 51 patients with cancers of the lung (small cell), ovary or breast, and in 29 matched control patients with nonneoplastic disease. Chemical smell thresholds for phenyl-methyl-ethyl-carbinol were studied in the same group of patients. Electrical taste threshold was higher in patients with cancer compared with control patients (30 [12 to 80] microA versus 9.5 [6.1 to 24] microA; median [interquartile range], P less than 0.001). No differences were seen in smell thresholds. Patients who responded to chemotherapy obtained a decreased electrogustometric threshold at time of reevaluation (24 [8 to 64] microA versus 30 [15 to 90] microA; median [interquartile range], P less than 0.05). These results suggest an effect of the malignant disease itself on taste thresholds.

Adult

Quality specific differences in human taste detection thresholds as a function of stimulus volume.

Taste detection thresholds for sodium chloride, sucrose, citric acid and quinine sulfate were determined with the Henkin three drop forced-choice method at stimulus volumes 0.05 ml, 0.50 ml, and 0.90 ml, with and without water rinses. Taste thresholds were inversely related to stimulus volume (median rs = -.68 and, within each volume, thresholds did not differ as function of water rinsing. The detection thresholds for sodium chloride (range: 15.06 mM to 6.7 mM), sucrose (range: 24.22 mM to 14.13 mM), citric acid (range: 1.47 mM to 0.5 mM) and quinine sulfate (range: 0.35 mM to 0.12 mM) were similar to those of other investigators using considerably larger stimulus volumes and different psychophysical procedures. The present results demonstrate that the Henkin three drop method provides a more optimal measure of changes in taste sensitivity when stimulus volumes of approximately 1 ml are used in place of the standard 0.05 ml stimulus volume.

Adolescent

Taste preference thresholds for Polycose, maltose, and sucrose in rats.

The taste preference thresholds of adult female rats for polysaccharide (Polycose), maltose, and sucrose were compared. The nondeprived animals were given 24-hr two-bottle preference tests (saccharide solution vs. water) and, starting at 0.008%, the saccharide concentration was increased daily. The rats first preferred the Polycose solution to water at 0.01% (0.0001 M), the maltose solution to water at 0.09% (0.0025 M), and the sucrose solution to water at 0.09% (0.0026 M). Thus, on a molar basis the rats' Polycose threshold was 25 to 26 times lower than their maltose and sucrose threshold. It was postulated that the low taste threshold for polysaccharides allows the rat to detect starch which, unlike sugar, is very low in solubility.

Animals

Taste. Robust across the age span?

The prevalence of taste loss over a discrete area of the tongue or palate is unknown; however, we have identified discrete losses in three etiological groups: head trauma, upper respiratory infection, and bulimia. We have now identified discrete losses in elderly subjects. To summarize, elderly subjects show elevated taste thresholds for some taste stimuli. Mild dysgeusia may act as a masking stimulus that makes taste thresholds appear to be elevated, and this may be more common in the elderly than the young. Discrete taste losses occur more often among the elderly than the young but usually go unnoticed (although these losses may contribute to elevated thresholds when the test procedure stimulates an area of loss). When the samples are at high concentrations, when the subject judges total intensity rather than typical quality, and when the whole mouth is used to do the tasting, the taste responses of elderly subjects look much like those of the young. Two factors contribute to the failure of people to notice localized taste loss. First, there appear to be mutually inhibitory connections between various taste loci such that if taste input from one area is blocked, the inhibition from that area is also blocked. This results in increases in perceived taste from the other areas. Second, a blank spot for taste can go unnoticed because taste is poorly localized. We can demonstrate this with an illusion. If a taste solution is painted from an area with receptors into an area that does not have receptors, the taste sensation seems to invade the area with no receptors. We suggest that a similar phenomenon may occur with areas from which receptors are lost. This localization illusion could then prevent a subject from noticing that an area has lost taste function. The discovery of discrete taste losses in a population of elderly subjects suggests that earlier failures to find substantial taste losses with age may reflect the redundancy of the taste system. This possibility raises the question of what functions taste subserves that require this kind of redundancy. The taste system appears to be "hard wired" to maintain the constancy of perceived intensity even if substantial taste areas are damaged. This constancy suggests that taste is serving important biological functions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult

Late taste disorders in bone marrow transplantation: clinical evaluation with taste solutions in autologous and allogeneic bone marrow recipients.

The aim of this work was to determine the type and the significance of taste disorders in allogeneic bone marrow transplanted patients. In a retrospective study the taste threshold of a cohort of 15 allogeneic bone marrow transplanted patients, 4-51 months after transplantation (mean: 30.6 +/- 15.8), was compared to the taste threshold of 8 autologous bone marrow recipients, 4-48 months after transplantation (mean: 24.12 +/- 12.18), and to the taste threshold of a group of 20 consecutive normal subjects. Allogeneic bone marrow transplanted patients showed a significant hypogeusia for salt (Pearson's chi square p = 0.0002; Yates' correction p = 0.0007) and sour (Pearson's chi square p = 0.001; Yates' correction p = 0.008). No significant variations were observed for sweet and bitter. Autologous bone marrow recipients did not show any significant variation of taste acuity for sweet, salt or sour; a constant reduction of the taste threshold for bitter was observed, but the values were not significantly different from normal (Pearson's chi square p = 0.47; Yates' correction p = 0.83). So, late and selective taste disorders are observed in allogeneic bone marrow transplanted patients. Since the severity of the disorders is not strictly related to the severity of chronic oral G.V.H.D., taste analysis could discover the slightest, clinically undetectable cases of chronic oral G.V.H.D. The mechanism of immune aggression on the sensorial taste cells is poorly understood. Further trials are needed to define variations of taste acuity not only after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, but also in systemic immune diseases.

Adolescent