Labeled Magnitude Scale Research Articles

Effect of training on the reliability of satiety evaluation and use of trained panellists to determine the satiety effect of dietary fibre: a randomised controlled trial.

BackgroundThe assessment of satiety effects on foods is commonly performed by untrained volunteers marking their perceived hunger or fullness on line scales, marked with pre-set descriptors. The lack of reproducibility of satiety measurement using this approach however results in the tool being unable to distinguish between foods that have small, but possibly important, differences in their satiety effects. An alternate approach is used in sensory evaluation; panellists can be trained in the correct use of the assessment line-scale and brought to consensus on the meanings of descriptors used for food quality attributes to improve the panel reliability. The effect of training on the reliability of a satiety panel has not previously been reported.MethodIn a randomised controlled parallel intervention, the effect of training in the correct use of a satiety labelled magnitude scale (LMS) was assessed versus no-training. The test-retest precision and reliability of two hour postprandial satiety evaluation after consumption of a standard breakfast was compared. The trained panel then compared the satiety effect of two breakfast meals containing either a viscous or a non-viscous dietary fibre in a crossover trial.ResultsA subgroup of the 23 panellists (n = 5) improved their test re-test precision after training. Panel satiety area under the curve, “after the training” intervention was significantly different to “before training” (p < 0.001). Reliability of the panel determined by intraclass correlation (ICC) of test and retest showed improved strength of the correlation from 0.70 pre-intervention to 0.95 post intervention. The trained “satiety expert panel” determined that a standard breakfast with 5g of viscous fibre gave significantly higher satiety than with 5g non-viscous fibre (area under curve (AUC) of 478.2, 334.4 respectively) (p ≤ 0.002).ConclusionTraining reduced between panellist variability. The improved strength of test-retest ICC as a result of the training intervention suggests that training satiety panellists can improve the discriminating power of satiety evaluation.

Equi-intensity across the Spectrum™ taste scales

This work aimed to study the equi-intensity across the Spectrum™ taste scales. The approach consisted of a comparison of four reference points illustrating the same level of intensity across the scales using two very different methods: 2-alternative forced-choice (2-AFC) and Labeled Magnitude Scale (LMS). The comparisons across these scales were based on caffeine, citric acid, sodium chloride, sucrose, and monosodium glutamate in water solutions, at different concentrations, prepared according to the guidelines given for the Spectrum™ method. A scale concerning the umami taste, designed in the spirit of the Spectrum™ scales, was also studied in this work.Both procedures produced similar outcomes, which is very powerful for the overall validity of the study. The results show that the equi-intensity property was not observed for all tastes and all levels of intensity. The most important differences across scales were observed for scores above the midpoint on the scales. The results of this study suggest that it would be necessary to modify the concentrations of several of the reference solutions assigned to the reference points given in the guidelines of the Spectrum™ method. This work also provided estimation models allowing calculation of equi-intense sucrose, caffeine, NaCl, citric acid and MSG water solutions.

Relationship of 6‐n‐Propylthiouracil (PROP) Taste Sensitivity to Alcohol and Caffeine Intakes among Ethnically Diverse College Students

BackgroundIt has been suggested that greater taste sensitivity to 6‐n‐propylthiouracil (PROP) influences the oral sensation of alcohol and caffeine and serves as a deterrent to alcohol and caffeine consumption.ObjectiveThis study was conducted to examine the relationship of PROP taste sensitivity to alcohol and caffeine intakes among ethnically diverse college students.MethodsThe sample included 360 college students (164 males; 72 African Americans, 80 Caucasians, 73 Hispanics, 135 Asians; Age: Mean±SE=23.4±0.3yr) living in the New York City area. Subjects were classified as PROP non‐tasters and tasters using the PROP filter paper method and the general Labeled Magnitude scale. Their daily alcohol and caffeine intakes were assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire.ResultsThe proportion of PROP non‐tasters in this study was 29%. PROP non‐tasters had significantly higher daily alcohol intake (Mean±SE, 3.8±0.6 vs. 2.2±0.2 [g]; P=0.007) and caffeine intake(116.5±9.9 vs. 83.1±5.4 [mg];P=0.002) than did PROP non‐tasters. Male subjects had significantly higher alcohol (P=0.05) and caffeine intakes (P=0.03) compared with female subjects. Finally, Caucasian subjects had significantly higher alcohol (P&lt;0.001) and caffeine intakes (P=0.002) than did any other ethnic groups. The multiple regression results showed that ethnicity, PROP status, and caffeine intake significantly predicted alcohol intake.ConclusionThis study suggests that PROP status is significantly associated with alcohol and caffeine intakes. Future studies should examine how cultural norms interact with PROP status. FundingThis study was supported by PSC‐CUNY grant (#65362‐00‐43) from the Research Foundation of the City University of New York.

Adult picky eating. Phenomenology, taste sensitivity, and psychological correlates

Objectives: To explore psychosocial correlates of picky eating in adults, document differences in the taste sensitivity of picky and non-picky eating adults, and examine behavioral characteristics of this understudied phenomenon. Methods: In Study One, 489 participants completed a survey on food choice and habits, including questions that asked participants to self-identify as picky eaters. Picky and non-picky eaters were compared on their rates of endorsement of a range of food selection behaviors and attitudes. In Study Two, participants who identified as either picky or non-picky responded to questionnaire measures of obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, disordered eating symptoms, disgust sensitivity, and food and general neophobia. Participants also rated the intensity of bitter and sweet solutions at three concentrations on a Labeled Magnitude Scale. Results: In Study One, picky eaters were more likely to endorse a variety of anomalous eating behaviors and attitudes toward food, including rejection of foods based on sensory characteristics (taste, color, texture). Picky eaters were less likely to endorse enjoyment of eating, and more likely to report that they were unhealthy eaters. In Study Two, picky eaters had significantly higher OCD symptoms, disgust sensitivity, and food neophobia than non-picky eaters, and were more likely to score within the clinical range of depression symptoms, but did not have higher scores on measures of disordered eating or general neophobia. Picky eaters rated both bitter and sweet tastants as more intense than did non-picky eaters. Discussions: Implications of findings for the future study of the correlates and mechanisms of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder are discussed.

A crossmodal role for audition in taste perception.

Our sense of taste can be influenced by our other senses, with several groups having explored the effects of olfactory, visual, or tactile stimulation on what we perceive as taste. Research into multisensory, or crossmodal perception has rarely linked our sense of taste with that of audition. In our study, 48 participants in a crossover experiment sampled multiple concentrations of solutions of 5 prototypic tastants, during conditions with or without broad spectrum auditory stimulation, simulating that of airline cabin noise. Airline cabins are an unusual environment, in which food is consumed routinely under extreme noise conditions, often over 85 dB, and in which the perceived quality of food is often criticized. Participants rated the intensity of solutions representing varying concentrations of the 5 basic tastes on the general Labeled Magnitude Scale. No difference in intensity ratings was evident between the control and sound condition for salty, sour, or bitter tastes. Likewise, panelists did not perform differently during sound conditions when rating tactile, visual, or auditory stimulation, or in reaction time tests. Interestingly, sweet taste intensity was rated progressively lower, whereas the perception of umami taste was augmented during the experimental sound condition, to a progressively greater degree with increasing concentration. We postulate that this effect arises from mechanostimulation of the chorda tympani nerve, which transits directly across the tympanic membrane of the middle ear.

Comparisons of 6-n-Propylthiouracil (PROP) Sensitivity, Food Liking and Food Intake between Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian Women

Background: Previous studies have suggested that vegetarians have a lower risk of overweight and obesity than do non-vegetarians. However, little is known about how meat consumption interacts with taste perception, thereby influencing food intake and body weight. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship of meat consumption with 6-npropylthiouracil (PROP) sensitivity, food liking, food intake and body mass index in female long term vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Methods: A cross-sectional design with a total of 94 racially diverse female subjects (mean age 23 years, 42 vegetarians, 52 non-vegetarians) living in the New York City area was used in this study. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated using the measured weight and height and PROP sensitivity was assessed using a PROP filter paper disk method and a general Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS). The subjects also completed a questionnaire to report the food liking/disliking for 19 food items using a hedonic version of the gLMS. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Results: The PROP sensitivity of vegetarians was significantly higher than that of non-vegetarians. Vegetarians showed significantly less liking of fat foods than did non-vegetarians, whereas there was no significant difference in sweet foods liking. The BMI, energy, protein, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, B vitamins, iron, zinc, sodium, potassium, and alcohol intake values of the vegetarians were significantly lower than those of the non-vegetarians. Multiple regression results revealed that only vegetarian status significantly contributed to the predictions of all the dependent variables, energy intake, fat intake and BMI. Conclusion: The study findings suggest that a difference in taste perception between vegetarians and nonvegetarians may play a role in determining energy intake and weight status. Further studies are needed to examine the mechanisms by which habitual meat consumption affect taste perception and thus food intake.

Variation in the TAS1R2 Gene, Sweet Taste Perception and Intake of Sugars

Background/Aims: To determine whether variation in the TAS1R2 gene affects sucrose taste perception and sugar intake. Methods: Participants were men (n = 238) and women (n = 458) aged 20-29 years. A subset (n = 95) with body mass index (BMI) data available completed a sensory analysis study. A food frequency questionnaire assessed dietary intake, and eight polymorphisms were genotyped (rs12033832, rs12137730, rs35874116, rs3935570, rs4920564, rs4920566, rs7513755 and rs9701796). Sucrose taste thresholds were determined by staircase procedure (solutions: 9 × 10^-6 to 0.5 mol/l). Suprathreshold sensitivity to 0.01-1.0 mol/l sucrose solutions was assessed using general Labeled Magnitude Scales. Results: A significant genotype-BMI interaction was observed for rs12033832 (G>A) for suprathreshold sensitivity (p = 0.01) and sugar intake (p = 0.003). Among participants with a BMI ≥25, G allele carriers had lower sensitivity ratings (mean incremental area under the taste sensitivity curve ± SE; GG/GA 54.4 ± 4.1 vs. AA 178.5 ± 66.6; p = 0.006), higher thresholds (GG/GA 9.3 ± 1.1 vs. AA 4.4 ± 4.3 mmol/l; p = 0.004) and consumed more sugars (GG/GA 130 ± 4 vs. AA 94 ± 13 g/day; p = 0.009). G allele carriers with a BMI <25 had lower thresholds (GG/GA 8.6 ± 0.5 vs. AA 16.7 ± 5.7 mmol/l; p = 0.02) and consumed less sugars (GG/GA 122 ± 2 vs. AA 145 ± 8 g/day; p = 0.004). Conclusion: The rs12033832 single nucleotide polymorphism in TAS1R2 is associated with sucrose taste and sugar intake, but the effect differs depending on BMI.

"A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down": bitter masking by sucrose among children and adults.

Sweeteners are often added to liquid formulations of drugs but whether they merely make them better tasting or actually reduce the perception of bitterness remains unknown. In a group of children and adults, we determined whether adding sucrose to urea, caffeine, denatonium benzoate, propylthiouracil (PROP), and quinine would reduce their bitterness using a forced-choice method of paired comparisons. To better understand individual differences, adults also rated each solution using a more complex test (general Labeled Magnitude Scale [gLMS]) and were genotyped for the sweet taste receptor gene TAS1R3 and the bitter receptor TAS2R38. Sucrose suppressed the bitterness of each agent in children and adults. In adults, sucrose was effective in reducing the bitterness ratings from moderate to weak for all compounds tested, but those with the sensitive form of the sweet receptor reported greater reduction for caffeine and quinine. For PROP, sucrose was most effective for those who were genetically the most sensitive, although this did not attain statistical significance. Not only is the paired comparison method a valid tool to study how sucrose improves the taste of pediatric medicines among children but knowledge gleaned from basic research in bitter taste and how to alleviate it remains an important public health priority.

Acceptability and Identification of Scooped Versus Molded Puréed Foods

Although puréed foods are commonly recommended for individuals with dysphagia and the acceptability of these foods is often a concern, few sensory studies on puréed foods have been carried out. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of serving style (i.e., scooped vs molded), on identification and acceptability of puréed foods in younger and older adults. Acceptability of scooped versus molded puréed meats and vegetables was evaluated using the hedonic general Labeled Magnitude Scale. The younger adult panelists (n = 97; 55 F, 42 M) were recruited from the University of Florida staff and students, and the older adult panelists (n = 70; 59 F, 11 M) were recruited from the community. The younger panelists correctly identified a higher percentage of puréed foods than did the older panelists. Scooped puréed foods were more acceptable than molded. The results suggest that puréed foods may be more acceptable and identifiable when served without molding for both younger and older adults.

Sensory evaluation of bitterness and astringency sub-qualities of wine phenolic compounds: synergistic effect and modulation by aromas

Mouthfeel characteristics of wine phenolic compounds (catechin, epicatechin, coumaric acid, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid and gallic acid) were evaluated by sensory analysis using a Labeled Magnitude Scale for rating the intensity of the perceived sensations. Synergisms on bitterness and on astringent sub-qualities were detected when the phenolic compounds were tested as mixtures in comparison to individual compounds, maintaining the total amount of stimulus constant in all tasted samples. Principal component analysis was applied to observe trends in the data and to indicate relationships between phenolic substances and sensory attributes. It allowed us to easily visualize the synergistic effect discussed above. To our knowledge, this is the first time that astringency synergism between phenolic compounds has been described. This research also shows that wine aromas may modulate the perception of the astringency. In this study, the addition of volatile compounds increased the intensity of the astringent perception of the flavanol solutions and also its persistence.

Barium Versus Nonbarium Stimuli: Differences in Taste Intensity, Chemesthesis, and Swallowing Behavior in Healthy Adult Women

The authors examined the impact of barium on the perceived taste intensity of 7 different liquid tastant stimuli and the modulatory effect that these differences in perceived taste intensity have on swallowing behaviors. Participants were 80 healthy women, stratified by age group (<40; >60) and genetic taste status (supertasters; nontasters). Perceived taste intensity and chemesthetic properties (fizziness; burning-stinging) were rated for 7 tastant solutions (each prepared with and without barium) using the general Labeled Magnitude Scale. Tongue-palate pressures and submental surface electromyography (sEMG) were simultaneously measured during swallowing of these same randomized liquids. Path analysis differentiated the effects of stimulus, genetic taste status, age, barium condition, taste intensity, and an effortful saliva swallow strength covariate on swallowing. Barium stimuli were rated as having reduced taste intensity compared with nonbarium stimuli. Barium also dampened fizziness but did not influence burning-stinging sensation. The amplitudes of tongue-palate pressure or submental sEMG did not differ when swallowing barium versus nonbarium stimuli. Despite impacting taste intensity, the addition of barium to liquid stimuli does not appear to alter behavioral parameters of swallowing. Barium solutions can be considered to elicit behaviors that are similar to those used with nonbarium liquids outside the assessment situation.

Exploring associations between taste perception, oral anatomy and polymorphisms in the carbonic anhydrase (gustin) gene CA6

Recent reports suggest that polymorphisms in the carbonic anhydrase gene CA6 (also known as gustin) may explain additional variation in the bitterness of 6-n-propylthiouracil beyond that explained by variation in the bitter receptor gene TAS2R38. CA6 (gustin) has been implicated in taste bud function and salivary buffer capacity. In the present study we examined associations between polymorphisms in the CA6 gene with salt and bitter taste perception, and oral anatomy. 243 subjects (146 female) aged 18–45 rated the intensity of five concentrations of 6-n-propylthiouracil and NaCl on a generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) in duplicate and one concentration of potassium chloride (KCl). Using salivary DNA, we examined 12 SNPs within CA6 in relation to taste intensity and number of fungiform papillae. We observed no difference in bitter taste perception from 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) or from potassium chloride for any of the SNPs examined. Perceived saltiness of NaCl on the other hand was significantly associated with a number of CA6 polymorphisms, and particularly rs3737665. Nonetheless, FP density did not vary between alleles of rs3737665, nor with any of the other CA6 SNPs. Also, we fail to find any evidence that CA6 effects on taste perception are due to differences in fungiform papilla number. Additional work is needed to confirm whether variations within the CA6 gene may be responsible for differences in salt taste perception.

Influence of the Perceived Taste Intensity of Chemesthetic Stimuli on Swallowing Parameters Given Age and Genetic Taste Differences in Healthy Adult Women

This study examined whether the perceived taste intensity of liquids with chemesthetic properties influenced lingua-palatal pressures and submental surface electromyography (sEMG) in swallowing, compared with water. Swallowing was studied in 80 healthy women, stratified by age group and genetic taste status. General Labeled Magnitude Scale ratings of taste intensity were collected for deionized water; carbonated water; 2.7% w/v citric acid; and diluted ethanol. These stimuli were swallowed, with measurement of tongue-palate pressures and submental sEMG. Path analysis differentiated stimulus, genetic taste status, age, and perceived taste intensity effects on swallowing. Signal amplitude during effortful saliva swallowing served as a covariate representing participant strength. Significant differences (p < .05) in taste intensity were seen across liquids: citric acid > ethanol > carbonated water > water. Supertasters perceived greater taste intensity than did nontasters. Lingua-palatal pressure and sEMG amplitudes were correlated with the strength covariate. Anterior palate pressures and sEMG amplitudes were significantly higher for the citric acid stimulus. Perceived taste intensity was a significant mediator of stimulus differences. These data provide confirmatory evidence that high-intensity sour stimuli do influence swallowing behaviors. In addition, taste genetics influence the perception of taste intensity for stimuli with chemesthetic properties, which modulates behavioral responses.

Cigarette smoking and obesity are associated with decreased fat perception in women

ObjectiveSmoking and obesity are independently associated with high consumption of high-fat foods in women. We tested whether the co-occurrence of smoking and obesity associates with reduced oral fat perception.Design and MethodsFour groups of women (14 obese smokers, 11 obese never-smokers, 10 normal-weight smokers, 12 normal-weight never-smokers) rated vanilla puddings that varied in fat content for perceived intensity of creaminess and sweetness, using the general Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS), and degree of pleasantness, using the hedonic gLMS. To determine the role of retronasal smell, subjects rated puddings with and without noseclips.ResultsFor all groups, creaminess grew with increasing fat concentrations; puddings with any amount of fat were perceived as sweeter than fat-free pudding, and sweetness was enhanced when tasted without noseclips. Overall, obese smokers perceived less creaminess, sweetness, and pleasure while tasting the puddings than did the other three groups (all P-values<0.02).ConclusionThe ability to perceive fat and sweetness in and derive pleasure from foods is particularly compromised in obese women who smoke, which could contribute to excess calorie intake in this population already at high risk for cardiovascular and metabolic disease. Retronasal olfaction appears not to contribute to blunted flavor perception observed in obese smokers.

Comparison of the Hedonic General Labeled Magnitude Scale with the Hedonic 9‐Point Scale

The hedonic 9-point scale was designed to compare palatability among different food items; however, it has also been used occasionally to compare individuals and groups. Such comparisons can be invalid because scale labels (for example, "like extremely") can denote systematically different hedonic intensities across some groups. Addressing this problem, the hedonic general Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) frames affective experience in terms of the strongest imaginable liking/disliking of any kind, which can yield valid group comparisons of food palatability provided extreme hedonic experiences are unrelated to food. For each scale, 200 panelists rated affect for remembered food products (including favorite and least favorite foods) and sampled foods; they also sampled taste stimuli (quinine, sucrose, NaCl, citric acid) and rated their intensity. Finally, subjects identified experiences representing the endpoints of the hedonic gLMS. Both scales were similar in their ability to detect within-subject hedonic differences across a range of food experiences, but group comparisons favored the hedonic gLMS. With the 9-point scale, extreme labels were strongly associated with extremes in food affect. In contrast, gLMS data showed that scale extremes referenced nonfood experiences. Perceived taste intensity significantly influenced differences in food liking/disliking (for example, those experiencing the most intense tastes, called supertasters, showed more extreme liking and disliking for their favorite and least favorite foods). Scales like the hedonic gLMS are suitable for across-group comparisons of food palatability.

Ghrelin Gly90Leu and Ghrelin Receptor Gly57Gly Gene Variants Are Not Associated with Saltiness Intensity Perception and Pleasantness Ratings

Aims: The salty taste modality is modulated by epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) and Transient Receptor Potential Vanniloid (TRPV1) ionic channel and more recently, the gastric hormone ghrelin and its signaling system are also thought to play a role. Taste perception plays an important role in modulating food preference, and intake and is partly determined by genetic variations in chemoreceptor genes. For the salty taste modality, no studies have yet identified any genetic determinants of salt taste in humans. Nevertheless, a single study has identified that common variations in genes encoding for TRPV1 (TRPV1) and ENaC (SCNN1B) may influence the perception of salt solutions in humans, while it is currently unknown whether it would be the same for ghrelin and its cognate receptor, GHSR. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to investigate the association of Ghrelin Gly90Leu and GHSR Gly57Gly gene polymorphisms with individual’s saltiness intensity perception and pleasantness ratings. Study Design: A convenience sampling method was practiced in this study. The sampling was carried out among students between the age of 18–25. Place and Duration of Study: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Perak campus, Original Research Article European Journal of Nutrition & Food Safety, 4(2): 87-99, 2014 88 between January to December, 2011. Methodology: We recruited 166 Malaysian university students (mean age: 20.33±1.68; 75 males, 91 females; 152 ethnic Chinese, 14 Indians; 113 normal weight, 53 overweight) by convenience sampling. Low and high sodium concentrations of foods, solutions and broths were tasted and rated for their perceived intensity and pleasantness using generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale and Labeled Affective Magnitude scale, respectively. Results: The minor allele frequencies (MAF) of Ghrelin Gly90Leu and GHSR Gly57Gly were 0.48 and 0.31, respectively. Only the perceived intensity of salted egg was significantly different among Ghrelin Gly90Leu genotypes, where the individuals with T318T and A318T genotypes rated the intensity significantly higher than those with the A318A genotype. Conclusion: In conclusion, Ghrelin Gly90Leu and GHSR Gly57Gly SNPs did not serve as markers for individual’s saltiness intensity perception and pleasantness ratings, at least among Malaysian subjects in this study. This suggests that the ghrelin signaling mechanism in modulating salty taste responsivity in inconclusive at the moment, as the positive findings in mice might not be translatable to humans.

The Associations between 6-n-Propylthiouracil (PROP) Intensity and Taste Intensities Differ by TAS2R38 Haplotype

Background/Aims: The influence of TAS2R38 haplotype on the relationship between the perceived intensity of propylthiouracil (PROP) and the basic tastes of salt, sweet, sour, and bitter (quinine) was evaluated in the Beaver Dam Offspring Study. Methods: Genotyping was performed on 1,670 participants aged ≥45 years (mean age = 54.4; range = 45-84), and suprathreshold taste intensity was measured using filter paper disks and a general labeled magnitude scale (0-100). Results: Among those with taste intensity data and the PAV or AVI haplotype (n = 1,258), the mean perceived intensity of PROP was 37.3 (SD = 30.0), but it varied significantly (p < 0.0001) by diplotype (PAV/PAV = 60.1; PAV/AVI = 46.5; AVI/AVI = 14.4). PROP intensity was correlated with the basic taste intensities (salt: r = 0.22; sweet: r = 0.25; sour: r = 0.21; quinine bitterness: r = 0.38; p < 0.001 for all tastes); however, a significant effect modification of the PROP-taste intensity relationships by TAS2R38 diplotype was observed. There was a stronger association between PROP and each of the basic tastes in the PAV/PAV diplotype group than in the other groups. Conclusions: Directly measuring the perceived intensity of the 4 tastes, rather than using PROP intensity as an indicator of taste responsiveness, is recommended for studies of taste perception.

Differences in swallowing between high and low concentration taste stimuli.

Taste is a property that is thought to potentially modulate swallowing behavior. Whether such effects depend on taste, intensity remains unclear. This study explored differences in the amplitudes of tongue-palate pressures in swallowing as a function of taste stimulus concentration. Tongue-palate pressures were collected in 80 healthy women, in two age groups (under 40, over 60), stratified by genetic taste status (nontasters, supertasters). Liquids with different taste qualities (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter) were presented in high and low concentrations. General labeled magnitude scale ratings captured perceived taste intensity and liking/disliking of the test liquids. Path analysis explored whether factors of taste, concentration, age group, and/or genetic taste status impacted: (1) perceived intensity; (2) palatability; and (3) swallowing pressures. Higher ratings of perceived intensity were found in supertasters and with higher concentrations, which were more liked/disliked than lower concentrations. Sweet stimuli were more palatable than sour, salty, or bitter stimuli. Higher concentrations elicited stronger tongue-palate pressures independently and in association with intensity ratings. The perceived intensity of a taste stimulus varies as a function of stimulus concentration, taste quality, participant age, and genetic taste status and influences swallowing pressure amplitudes. High-concentration salty and sour stimuli elicit the greatest tongue-palate pressures.

Relationship among prop phenotype, body mass index, waist circumference, total body fat and food intake

The PROP phenotype (6-n-propylthiouracil) has been proposed as indicator of body mass index, adiposity and food intake. This relationship among variables is contradictory. No correlation has been found among the PROP phenotype, body indicators and energy consumption in some studies. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship among PROP taster status, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), total body fat (TBF) and food intake. The PROP taster status was established using two scales: the nine-point scale and the general labeled magnitude scale. Dietary habits of participants were recorded online during 35 days. The classification by PROP phenotype varied according to the scale. No significant differences were observed between PROP tasters and PROP non-tasters, with both scales, in body mass index, waist circumference, total body fat and energy and macronutrient intake. The PROP phenotype was not an indicator factor of body weight, adiposity and energy and macronutrients consumption in young adults.

Moving Beyond the Limitations of the Visual Analog Scale for Measuring Pain

Quantifying pain intensity is challenging, particularly for patients with chronic pain. The visual analog scale (VAS) is limited by ceiling effects that often leave patients with no ability to quantify worsening pain. The goal of this study was to determine whether the general Labeled Magnitude Scale (gLMS) can be feasibly used to measure pain clinically while overcoming limitations of the VAS. Eighty patients (mean age, 53.7 yrs) scheduled for evaluation of a painful complaint were asked to rate their current pain using the gLMS and the VAS. The time necessary to administer the gLMS was recorded to determine feasibility. The difference in rating between the two scales (VAS and gLMS) was the main outcome measure. After scaling and rounding off the gLMS scores for direct comparison, it was found that the gLMS scores were significantly lower than the corresponding VAS scores by a mean of 1.78 (P < 0.001). The mean time to administer the gLMS was 2.66 mins. These results suggest that the gLMS has great potential and can be feasibly used to measure pain intensity clinically. The gLMS scores were consistently lower than the VAS scores, thus reducing the ceiling effect and allowing range at the high end of the scale for rating worsening pain.