Changes In Gustatory Function Research Articles

Assessment of the gustatory function in patients with advanced oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.

The changes in gustatory function resulting from oncological treatment occur mainly after radiotherapy. However, the head and neck tumors, because of the anatomical location of the lesion, can themselves trigger significant changes in the feeding-related functions - including taste. To assess the gustatory function in patients diagnosed with advanced oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer. This descriptive cross-sectional study comprised 31 individuals with advanced oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer, referred for oncological treatment with radiotherapy, either alone or in combination with chemotherapy. The "taste strips" test was applied; it consists of inserting solutions with four different concentrations each for salty, sweet, and sour tastes, and three concentrations for the bitter taste, on the tongue. Most of the individuals were diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer. Approximately half of the sample already had taste-related complaints, and more than 80%, swallowing-related complaints. The overall frequency of hypogeusia was 38.7%, in which the bitter taste stood out in its isolated assessment. The association of change in gustatory function proved to be significant in patients in stage T4. The decrease in gustatory function in individuals with oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer was evidenced in this study, especially when associated with tumors in stage T4. Regarding feeding, most of them reported complaints of dysphagia, suggesting the importance of the speech-language-hearing assessment and follow-up, even before the oncological treatment, to minimize the risks of dysphagia.

Sensibilidade gustativa em idosos: uma revisão narrativa

Objective: This study is a narrative review about the palate and the various aspects related to taste alterations in aging, as well as nutritional management. Data sources: A bibliographic search was carried out in the PubMed database from March to July 2017. For the purpose of the search, the terms "taste perception", "taste disorders", "taste threshold", "taste" bud", "elderly" with the help of Boolean operators (AND and OR). Summary: One of the earliest recipients involved in food identification and evaluation is the taste receptor. With aging, a loss of taste occurs due to changes in the membranes of taste cellsinvolving altered function of ion channels and sensory receptors in addition to reducing the number of taste pores. These disorders may be associated withseveral conditions, including polypharmacy, smoking, alcohol, inadequate oral hygiene and debilitating diseases such as kidney and liver disease, cancer,respiratory infections, AIDS and diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease and cognitive disorders. Simple measures such as the use of natural condiments andseasonings, increased water intake, proper chewing and proper oral hygiene can bring great benefits by avoiding or circumventing gustatory changes in the elderly, being essential the performance of the nutritionist. Conclusions: It is essential to understand the changes in gustatory function that permeate the aging process in order to detect these changes early and contribute to a better quality of life for the elderly.

Sensibilidade gustativa em idosos: uma revisão narrativa

Objective: This study is a narrative review about the palate and the various aspects related to taste alterations in aging, as well as nutritional management. Data sources: A bibliographic search was carried out in the PubMed database from March to July 2017. For the purpose of the search, the terms "taste perception", "taste disorders", "taste threshold", "taste" bud", "elderly" with the help of Boolean operators (AND and OR). Summary: One of the earliest recipients involved in food identification and evaluation is the taste receptor. With aging, a loss of taste occurs due to changes in the membranes of taste cellsinvolving altered function of ion channels and sensory receptors in addition to reducing the number of taste pores. These disorders may be associated withseveral conditions, including polypharmacy, smoking, alcohol, inadequate oral hygiene and debilitating diseases such as kidney and liver disease, cancer,respiratory infections, AIDS and diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease and cognitive disorders. Simple measures such as the use of natural condiments andseasonings, increased water intake, proper chewing and proper oral hygiene can bring great benefits by avoiding or circumventing gustatory changes in the elderly, being essential the performance of the nutritionist. Conclusions: It is essential to understand the changes in gustatory function that permeate the aging process in order to detect these changes early and contribute to a better quality of life for the elderly.

Changes in Gustatory Function and Taste Preference Following Weight Loss

To investigate taste changes of obese children during an inpatient weight reduction treatment in comparison with normal weight children. Obese (n = 60) and normal weight (n = 27) children aged 9-17 years were assessed for gustatory functions using taste strips (taste identification test for the taste qualities sour, salty, sweet, and bitter), taste preferences, and experienced taste sensitivity. Obese children were examined upon admission (T1) and before discharge (T2). Normal weight children served as the control group. Irrespective of taste quality, obese children exhibited a lower ability to identify taste (total taste score) than normal weight children (P < .01); this overall score remained stable during inpatient treatment in obese children. Group and treatment effects were seen when evaluating individual taste qualities. In comparison with normal weight children, obese children exhibited poorer sour taste identification performance (P < .01). Obese children showed improvement in sour taste identification (P < .001) and deterioration in sweet taste identification (P < .001) following treatment. Subjective reports revealed a lower preference for sour taste in obese children compared with normal weight children (P < .05). The sweet and bitter taste ability at T1 predicted the body mass index z score at T2 (R2 = .23, P < .01). We identified differences in the ability to discriminate tastes and in subjective taste perception between groups. Our findings of increased sour and reduced sweet taste discrimination after the intervention in obese children are indicative of an exposure-related effect on taste performance, possibly mediated by increased acid and reduced sugar consumption during the intervention. Because the sweet and bitter taste ability at T1 predicted weight loss, addressing gustatory function could be relevant in individualized obesity treatment approaches. Germanctr.de: DRKS00005122.

Electrogustometry and contact endoscopy findings in patients with head and neck malignancies treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or radiochemotherapy.

This study aimed to investigate in parallel changes in gustatory function, changes in morphology of the fungiform papillae, as well as changes in the shape and density of the vessels of the tip of the tongue in patients treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or radiochemotherapy. Twenty patients (7 females and 13 males; age range: 42-78 years) with head and neck malignancies (hypopharynx, larynx, oropharynx, and parotid) treated with radiochemotherapy (n = 8), chemotherapy (n = 8), or radiotherapy (n = 4) were prospectively studied. In all patients, electrogustometry and contact endoscopy were performed. Radiotherapy-treated patients exhibited higher electrogustometry thresholds and greater alterations in the morphology and vascularization of the fungiform papillae than the other two groups. Radiochemotherapy patients had less pronounced changes of the electrogustometry threshold and fungiform papillae structure compared with radiotherapy patients. Chemotherapy alone caused less severe change in both electrogustometry threshold and fungiform papillae structure than radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy. Radiotherapy alone caused greater disorders of taste-related anatomic parameters and electrogustometry thresholds compared with chemotherapy and combined radiochemotherapy.

Gustatory Function after Radiofrequency Tongue Base Reduction in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

To investigate the changes in gustatory function as a complication after radiofrequency tongue base reduction (RTBR) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Before-and-after study. Academic tertiary medical center. Thirty-four patients with suspected velopharyngeal collapse only underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP group). Twenty-five patients with velopharyngeal and retrolingual collapse underwent concurrent UPPP with RTBR (RTBR group). All patients were evaluated before surgery and at 1 and 4 weeks after surgical treatment. A questionnaire was given to assess symptoms of hypogeusia, dysgeusia, hyposmia, and sensation of the tongue. Electrogustometry (EGM) in 4 areas was used to determine gustatory function. Postoperative values for subjective symptoms did not significantly change following surgical treatment in either group. EGM thresholds of all tested in both groups did not significantly change 1 week and 4 weeks after surgery. Gustatory function remained unchanged after RTBR in patients with OSA. The authors suggest that RTBR is a safe procedure in terms of taste sensation in OSA patients.

Rapid Changes in Gustatory Function Induced by Contralateral Nerve Injury and Sodium Depletion

The combination of dietary sodium depletion and unilateral chorda tympani (CT) nerve section decreases sodium taste function in the intact CT nerve. However, functional changes have not been examined prior to day 4 postsectioning, even though degenerative and inflammatory responses are robust during that period. Rats received unilateral CT section and/or dietary sodium depletion, accomplished by 2 injections of furosemide and a sodium-restricted diet, on day 0. Surgical controls received sham nerve sectioning. At days 1, 2, 3, or 4, taste responses were recorded from the intact nerve. Functional changes were rapid and unexpected. At day 1 postsectioning, neural responses from the uninjured CT of both control-fed and sodium-depleted animals were reduced. By day 2, however, normal function was restored in control-fed rats, whereas functional deficits persisted in depleted animals. Sodium depletion alone also induced a transient decrease in sodium responses at days 2-3 after furosemide injection. These results demonstrate that distant neural injury can elicit gustatory plasticity regardless of the dietary environment, but normal responses can be restored. We suggest that neutrophils mediate the initial postinjury deficits in taste function, whereas macrophages promote the recovery of normal function.

Changes in gustatory function during the course of pregnancy and postpartum

To investigate changes in gustatory function during pregnancy and postpartum. Prospective study. Obstetric outpatient clinic, Zurich University Hospital. Forty-four pregnant women, 46 controls. A threshold-like measure of gustatory function was obtained for different concentrations of the four basic tastes using 'taste tablets'; subjects were also asked to rate the intensity and pleasantness/unpleasantness of suprathreshold taste solutions. Tests were performed in early pregnancy up to 14 weeks of gestational age, 8-12 weeks after the first and second examination and at least 6 weeks after birth. In parallel, controls were tested four times at intervals of 8-12 weeks. Gustatory score (number of correctly identified tastes). Results Pregnant subjects exhibited a decreased gustatory function compared with non-pregnant controls, still being present after birth. These 'objective' changes were observed although pregnant women rated the intensity of suprathreshold taste stimuli not significantly different from controls. Pregnant women rated salty stimuli to be more pleasant during the second trimester while they rated the salty stimuli to be less pleasant during the first and third trimester, and after birth. Pregnancy is accompanied by changes in gustatory function. Decreased gustatory sensitivity may allow pregnant and breastfeeding women to vary their diet in order to consume adequate electrolytes. The discrepancy between 'objective' and 'subjective' findings in gustatory function may relate to changes in central processing of gustatory information during pregnancy.

Evaluation of gustatory function after third molar removal

The aim of this study was to determine the severity of taste changes after surgical removal of all four third molars in one session. Taste function in 27 patients was measured before and at 1 month and 6 months after surgery. In every patient all four third molars were removed using local anesthesia and sedation with midazolam and fentanyl. For testing gustatory function, two tests were administered: a whole-mouth, above threshold test and a spatial (localized) taste test. For this purpose, sucrose, NaCl, citric acid and quinine hydrochloride solutions were used. Taste intensity of quinine hydrochloride of the palate was significantly reduced 1 month after surgery ( P<0.05) but recovered and reach to preoperative values 6 months after surgery. The results showed that there were no significant changes in gustatory function after third molar surgery.

Changes in 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<005). 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.

A study of changes in gustatory sense during pregnancy

A change in gustatory function is generally well known as one of the manifestations in the early stage of pregnancy. However, there have been comparatively few studies of the changes in taste and gustatory function resulting from pregnancy. In particular, so far there have been no reports of investigations of two or more pregnant women in which gustatory sense in the same pregnant woman was examined serially over time. In this study, gustatory tests were performed over time on pregnant women having a normal course, so as to examine in detail the changes in gustatory function resulting from pregnancy. Selected for this study were 97 healthy pregnant women (ranging in age from 21 to 36 years, with an average of 27.9 +/- 3.2 years). Gustatory tests were performed by electrogustometry and the filter-paper disk method over the areas of the chorda tympani nerve and glossopharyngeal nerve. Of the 97 subjects, gustatory tests could be performed serially with time throughout the duration of pregnancy in 32 subjects (from 21 to 34 years old, with an average age of 28.3 +/- 2.9 years), and changes in gustatory sense with progress in pregnancy were analyzed statistically. In addition, serum trace elements were measured in 72 of the subjects. Thirty non-pregnant healthy women (from 18 to 34 years old, with an average age of 24.8 +/- 4.3 years) were used as control. The gustatory test was performed by the same person in all cases. An increase in gustatory threshold was observed in pregnant women as compared with that of non-pregnant women. Especially, a tendency of a marked decrease was noted in gustatory function in the first trimester. A marked change in secretion of hormones in the early stage of pregnancy is considered to be the underlying cause of such a decrease in gustatory function. The serum zinc level was in the normal range in the early stage of pregnancy, but it tended to decrease over the period from the midtrimester to the third trimester. Therefore, it is difficult to explain dysgeusia in the early stage of pregnancy as being associated with a deficiency of zinc.

Lesions of the central nucleus of the amygdala. I: Effects on taste reactivity, taste aversion learning and sodium appetite.

Bilateral damage to the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeAX) in the rat blunts need-induced NaCl intake and abolishes daily need-free NaCl intake when measured with a two-bottle test. Such a deficit could be the result of impaired taste function. To assess the taste function of the CeAX rat various taste stimuli were introduced directly into the oral cavity and taste-elicited oral motor responses were measured. Oral motor responses elicited by 0.62 M and 0.13 M sodium chloride, 0.3 M sucrose and 0.01 M citric acid, were similar in control and CeAX rats. Additionally CeAX and control rats acquired a taste aversion for fructose or maltose when either was paired with LiCl. Finally, in CeAX rats, like in control rats, the pattern of oral motor responses to 0.5 M NaCl was dependent on internal state; sodium depletion dramatically altered taste-elicited oral motor behavior. These results suggest that, in the rat, the deficits in NaCl intake behavior that follow CeAX do not appear to be a result of dramatic changes in gustatory function.

Radiation-induced changes in gustatory function comparison of effects of neutron and photon irradiation

Changes in gustatory function were measured in 51 patients with various forms of cancer who received radiation to the head and neck region. Forty patients (group I) were treated with conventional photon radiation (e.g. 66 Gy/7 weeks), and 11 patients (group II) were treated with cyclotron produced fast neutrons (e.g. 22 Gy/7 weeks). Taste acuity was measured for four taste qualities (salt, sweet, sour and bitter) by a forced choice-three stimulus drop technique which measured detection and recognition thresholds and by a forced scaling technique which measured taste intensity responsiveness. Subjective complaints of anorexia, dysgeusia, taste loss and xerostomia were also recorded. Patients were studied before, during and up to two months after therapy. Prior to therapy, detection and recognition thresholds, intensity responsiveness and the frequency of subjective complaints in patients from groups I and II were statistically equivalent. During and up to 2 months after therapy, taste impairment and frequency of subjective complaints increased significantly in neutron and photon treated patients, but were statistically equivalent. Results of this study indicate that gustatory tissue response, as measured by taste detection and recognition and intensity responsiveness, and the frequency of subjective complaints related to taste are statistically equivalent in patients before, during, or up to 2 months after they were given either neutron or photon radiation for tumors of the head and neck. Continued study of these patients will be necessary to determine the relation between acute and late gustatory tissue response in neutron patients are compared to photon patients.