Subjective Taste Research Articles

Does beauty capture the eye, even if it's not (overtly) adaptive? A comparative eye-tracking study of spontaneous attention and visual preference with VAST abstract art

Studies have routinely shown that individuals spend more time spontaneously looking at people or at mimetic scenes that they subsequently judge to be more aesthetically appealing. This “beauty demands longer looks” phenomenon is typically explained by biological relevance, personal utility, or other survival factors, with visual attraction often driven by structural features (symmetry, texture), which may signify fitness and to which most humans tend to respond similarly. However, what of objects that have less overtly adaptive relevance? Here, we consider whether people also look longer at abstract art with little associative/mimetic content that they subsequently rate for higher aesthetic appeal. We employed the “Visual aesthetic sensitivity test” (VAST), which consists of pairs of matched abstract designs with one example of each pair argued to be objectively ‘aesthetically better’ in regards to low-level features, thus offering a potential contrast between ‘objective’ (physical feature-based) and ‘subjective’ (personal taste-based) assessments. Participants (29 women) first looked at image pairs without a specific task and then in three follow-up blocks indicated their preference within the pairs and rated the individual images for liking and for presumed ratings by an art expert. More preferred designs were looked at longer. However, longer looking only occurred in line with participants' subjective tastes. This suggests a general correlation of attention and visual beauty, which—in abstract art—may nonetheless be related to features that are not identified by experts as more generally appealing and thus may not directly map to other (more utility-related) stimuli types.

Japanese toddlers prefer the scent of soy sauce to that of honey with a sweet drink

Subjective taste intensity in adults is affected by the scent of food. Previous studies have shown that children, compared with adults, prefer sweet-tasting foods, as well as foods with a familiar smell. However, how taste-smell congruency and smell familiarity develop in early toddlerhood is still unclear. Here, we examined the effects of the odours of soy sauce, one of the most familiar foods in Japan, and honey, which is a sweet gustatory stimulus but unfamiliar to younger Japanese toddlers, by comparing the sugared water consumption of toddlers under different odour conditions. Forty-seven younger (N = 23, age range = 378–726 days) and older (N = 24, age range = 731–1001 days) Japanese toddlers completed the experiment. For each condition, the toddlers were handed a two-handled mug with a straw filled with sugared water. The test liquid was dropped onto a cotton puff packed into a small basket attached to the mug to present odour stimuli. Our results showed that the consumption of sugared water was significantly higher for the soy sauce condition than the honey condition. This result suggests that familiar food odours, such as soy sauce for the Japanese population, may enhance beverage preference even in toddlerhood.

Subjective smell and taste changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: Short term recovery.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, many individuals have reported acute loss of smell and taste. In order to better characterize all patients with these symptoms, a longitudinal national survey was created. Since April 10, 2020, 549 completed the initial survey, with 295 completing 14-day, and 202 completing 1-month follow up surveys. At 1-month follow-up, 71.8% reported a return to “very good” or “good” smell, and 84.2% reported a return to “very good” or “good” taste. Chemosensory changes are a cardinal sign of COVID-19. Fortunately, our data, representing a large longitudinal study of patients experiencing smell and taste losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicates that the majority appear to recover within a month.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Taste Dysfunction in Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) often describe alterations in sense of taste. These complaints have historically been attributed to olfactory dysfunction; however, there is evidence of direct, objective, gustatory disturbances in the setting of CRS that are not thoroughly characterized. This study sought to investigate and summarize gustatory dysfunction experienced by patients with CRS. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were reviewed following PRISMA guidelines. English language, original studies investigating objective taste in adult patients with CRS were included. A meta-analysis with inverse variance, random-effects model was performed. Of 2750 studies screened, 11 articles with 471 unique patients were included. Patients with CRS exhibit worse gustatory function compared to healthy controls (standardized mean difference 0.94 [95% CI, 0.44-1.45]). Hypogeusia was identified in 32/95 (33.7%) patients from three studies that used methods with a validated definition of hypogeusia. Older age, male gender, and smoking history were associated with taste dysfunction, while objective gustatory and olfactory dysfunction were not correlated. Subjective taste and quality of life measures were also not associated with objective taste. The impact of sinus surgery on objective taste is unclear. Approximately 34% of patients with CRS experience hypogeusia. Neither olfactory function nor subjective taste were associated with objective gustatory function. Given the substantial prevalence of taste dysfunction patients with CRS, there is significant potential for growth in understanding of pathogenesis, impact on quality of life, and potential treatment strategies of taste impairment in the CRS patient population. 1 Laryngoscope, 131:482-489, 2021.

P-98 HGCSG1902: Multicenter, prospective, observational study for cases with dysgeusia caused by chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer

Anti-tumor agents have been developing every year, and the overall survival in gastrointestinal cancer patients is dramatically improved in a decade. As the duration of treatment prolongs, quality of life (QoL) and management for adverse events have become increasingly important. Diet is an important factor in QoL maintenance, but it is known that adverse events of chemotherapy include anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and dysgeusia, which can lead to reduced oral intake. The incidence of dysgeusia associated with chemotherapy is reported to be approximately 56-76%, depending on the type of chemotherapy. Prolonged dysgeusia may worsen nutritional status and performance status. Nausea and vomiting can be treated with an antiemesis, but there has been no promising intervention for dysgeusia for a long time. The mechanism of chemotherapy-induced dysgeusia is not yet clear, but it has been reported that cells with rapid turnover, such as taste bud cells, are more sensitive to chemotherapy than other cells. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the regeneration of taste bud cells requires large amounts of zinc. Therefore, zinc deficiency can cause dysgeusia. Cytotoxic agents may act as a chelator for zinc. However, there are no prospective multicenter studies of the effects of zinc administration on dysgeusia caused by chemotherapy. By analysing various factors related to dysgeusia due to chemotherapy, we can identify the factors associated with dysgeusia and clarify the effectiveness of zinc preparations, which will contribute to the establishment of supportive care for patients undergoing chemotherapy. Therefore, we planned a multicenter, prospective observational study on cases of dysgeusia caused by chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer. This study is carried out as an investigator-initiated, multicenter, prospective observational study to determine clinical or treatment factors associated with chemotherapy-related dysgeusia in patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer. Eligibility criteria include patients presenting grade 1 or more dysgeusia in Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0 or Scale of Subjective Total Taste Acuity (STTA) during chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer. One of the important exclusion criteria is the administration of zinc preparations before presenting dysgeusia. After registration, physicians will collect clinical information related to dysgeusia prospectively for 12 weeks using blood sampling and two times questionnaires. The treatment method for dysgeusia is determined by the physician’s choice (no intervention, polaprezinc, or zinc acetate hydrate). The data to be collected in this study include changes in dysgeusia, the relationship between serum zinc levels and dysgeusia, the contribution of physical factors to dysgeusia (age, height, weight, body surface area), the involvement of nutritional factors (hemoglobin level, serum iron, albumin level) and the safety of the intervention. A total of 180 cases are planned for registration in 13 institutions. In this study, we can evaluate the effects of factors contributing to dysgeusia, and the effects of zinc preparations on improving dysgeusia. This study was approved by the institutional review board of Hokkaido University Hospital (approval number: 019-0248). Clinical trial information: UMIN000039653. We would like to express special thanks to all participating investigators. The authors.

Flavor perception of wine is unchanged during commercial flight: a comparative field study

Background: It is generally accepted that the human perception of flavor and odor is altered in low-pressure environments such as airplane cabins. This has been demonstrated in several simulation studies, but never in a field study conducted in an authentic environment, and never using wine as the object of study. Methods: We performed a comparative field study composed of two wine tastings. The first tasting was conducted on board an aircraft flying at standard cruising altitude and the second tasting was conducted at ground level. Subjective taste experience and current mood were evaluated through a validated questionnaire. The study was reported according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guideline. Results: The study included 22 participants, none of whom had any special training in wine tasting. No statistically significant difference in experienced flavor intensity was found between the high and low altitude tests, with median aromatic intensities of 5 (interquartile range 3.5-6.0) and 5 (interquartile range 4.0-6.5) respectively, measured on a 9-point hedonic scale. Additionally, there was no detectable difference in several other taste parameters. Conclusions: These findings suggest that even though experimental studies have demonstrated that senses of taste and smell may be suppressed on commercial flights, the subjective wine tasting experience of non-professionals in real life testing may not be affected.

Taste alterations in patients with breast cancer following chemotherapy: a cohort study.

Chemotherapy-induced taste and smell alterations in cancer patients are associated with multiple adverse effects, namely, malnutrition, weight loss, and a diminished quality of life. The aim of this prospective study was to identify the incidence of taste alterations following epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (EC) chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer without previous history of cancer or chemotherapy. Forty-one patients undergoing EC chemotherapy for breast cancer at Tokai University Hospital were included. A subjective (questionnaire) and an objective (filter paper disk method) assessment for 5 basic tastes were administered on day 4 post-chemotherapy and immediately before the subsequent cycle of chemotherapy for each cycle, in addition to an olfactory evaluation and oral examination. The correlation between subjective and objective taste alterations and factors influencing these alterations were analyzed by statistical means. The mean incidence of subjective taste alteration on the 4th day after chemotherapy was 53%. In each of the 4 cycles, taste alterations decreased to about 9.0% immediately before the next cycle. A significant correlation between subjective and objective assessments was seen only for salty taste, suggesting important differences in subjective versus objective assessment outcomes. A multivariate analysis indicated that age and body surface area influenced taste alterations. EC chemotherapy induced taste alterations in more than 50% of patients, which decreased to less than 10% immediately before the next chemotherapy cycle. A combination of objective and subjective assessments is essential to evaluate taste alterations induced by EC chemotherapy. These could be used in routine clinical practice.

A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation of Feedback in Ideation Contests

Ideation contests are commonly used across public and private sectors to generate new ideas for solving problems, creating designs, and improving products or processes. In such a contest, a firm or an organization (the seeker) outsources an ideation task online to a distributed population of independent agents (solvers) in the form of an open call. Solvers compete to exert efforts and the one with the best solution wins a bounty. In evaluating solutions, the seeker typically has subjective taste that is unobservable to solvers. In practice, the seeker often provides solvers with feedback, which discloses useful information about her private taste. In this study, we develop a game‐theoretic model of feedback in unblind ideation contests, where solvers’ solutions and the seeker's feedback are publicly visible by all. We show that feedback plays an informative role in mitigating the information asymmetry between the seeker and solvers, thereby inducing solvers to exert more efforts in the contest. We also show that some key contest and solver characteristics (CSC, including contest reward, contest duration, solver expertise, and solver population) have a direct effect on solver effort. Interestingly, by endogenizing the seeker's feedback decision, we find that the optimal feedback volume increases with contest reward, contest duration, solver expertise, but decreases with solver population. Thus, CSC elements also have an indirect effect on solvers’ effort level, with feedback volume mediating this effect. Employing a dataset from Zhubajie.com , a leading online ideation platform in China, we find empirical evidence that is consistent with these theoretical predictions.

Oral examination findings, taste and smell testing during and following head and neck cancer therapy.

Diet and nutrition are critical in health and disease and are highly impacted by the presence and treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC). The purpose of this paper is to present oral examination findings and taste and smell test results in patients during and following HNC. Patients with HNC were evaluated during and following radiation therapy with/without chemotherapy. Oral examination findings including mucositis, saliva, oral hygiene (plaque levels, gingivitis), and taste and smell testing was completed on all subjects. NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) 4.0, and the Scale of Subjective Total Taste Acuity (STTA) were used to provide patient report of symptoms. Mucositis and pain affected oral diet during therapy and improved in follow-up. Weight loss of 5% during and 12% following treatment was identified. Tobacco use was associated with increased severity of mucositis and increased weight loss. The subjects maintained excellent oral hygiene as reflected in plaque levels and gingivitis. Spicy/pungent perception was the most strongly disliked of testing stimuli. Umami and fat taste perception were reported of highest intensity during HNC treatment and rated as moderate in intensity after treatment. These results suggest improvement in these taste functions over time following treatment. Salt taste was of high intensity and associated with strong dislike in follow-up. In HNC patients, oral status and taste change occurs throughout the cancer trajectory and represent potential concerns in cancer survivorship. Taste change (as evaluated by taste testing) occurred in all HNC patients, whereas olfactory changes occurred in 30% of cases. Management of oral changes and symptoms should be considered in all HNC patients in addition to dietary and nutritional guidance in patient care to promote oral intake. Continuing study of taste changes may further define this problem and support dietary and nutritional guidance and product development.

О щах, бараньем боке, блинах и прочих кулинарных изделиях в поэме Н. В. Гоголя «Мертвые души»: ...всё вынесут русские желудки

This article focuses on the recurring food imagery in the Gogol’s poem “Dead Souls”. More specifically, the publication defines these images in terms of evaluative criteria according to the dish properties given in form of sensations, performed actions, and opinions expressed by the subject of evaluation. At the same time, the dishes depicted in the novel do more than describe some subjective taste experiences, or Russian cooking in the specified period of time. It is also a panegyric to the Russian appetite and stomach, symbolically reinterpreted – in addition to their physical interpretation – as a symbolic equivalent of the endless possibilities for transforming the world by the “gentlemen of the middling sort”.

Conditioned taste avoidance induced by the combination of heroin and cocaine: Implications for the use of speedball

Speedball (heroin + cocaine) is a prevalent drug combination among intravenous drug users. Although its use is generally discussed to be a function of changes in the rewarding effects of either or both drugs, changes in the aversive effects of either drug may also be impacted (weakened) by the combination. To address this latter possibility and its potential role in the use of speedball, the present studies examined the interaction of cocaine and heroin in taste avoidance conditioning. In Experiment 1, male Sprague-Dawley rats were given access to a novel saccharin solution and then injected with either vehicle or heroin (3.2 mg/kg, IP) followed immediately by various doses of cocaine (10, 18 or 32 mg/kg, SC). At the two lowest doses of cocaine, only animals injected with the drug combination (H + C) displayed a taste avoidance relative to control subjects (taste avoidance was induced with both the combination and the high dose of cocaine). At no dose did animals injected with the combination of heroin and cocaine drink more than animals injected with cocaine alone. In Experiment 2, male Sprague-Dawley rats were similarly treated but injected with vehicle or cocaine (10 mg/kg) followed by injections of various doses of heroin (1.8, 3.2, 5.6 or 10 mg/kg). At the three highest doses of heroin, only animals injected with the drug combination (C + H) displayed significant avoidance relative to control subjects (no avoidance was evident with the combination of cocaine and the low dose of heroin). At no dose did animals injected with the combination of cocaine and heroin drink more than animals injected with heroin alone. Together, these results suggest that the aversive effects of heroin and cocaine are not attenuated by co-administration by cocaine and heroin, respectively. The importance of this for the use of speedball was discussed.

Clinical Characteristics and Gustatory Profiles in Patients with Subjective Taste Complaints

Other SectionsAbstractINTRODUCTIONMATERIALS AND METHODSRESULTSDISCUSSIONSupplementary MaterialCONFLICT OF INTERESTFigureTableReference

Self-reported and objective taste and smell evaluation in treatment-naive solid tumour patients.

Taste and smell abnormalities (TSA) commonly occur in cancer and are associated with anorexia, early satiety, malnutrition, weight loss and reduced quality of life. A recent study found a high TSA prevalence in newly diagnosed cancer patients before treatment. This suggests that TSA may originate from the tumour itself. No previous study has examined TSA, both subjectively and objectively, in newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve cancer patients. This study aimed to address this gap. This prospective observational study recruited consecutive, newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve patients with solid tumours at Radiation Oncology Out-patients. Self-reported taste and smell changes since becoming ill were evaluated using modifiedTaste and Smell Survey, and objective taste and smell tests were conducted using 'Sniffin' Sticks Olfactory Test® and Burghart Taste Strips®. Nutritional status was assessed with abridged Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment. Thirty completed the study. Seventy-four per cent had at least one TSA. Taste changes and/or abnormalities were more prevalent than smell, and subjective taste changes more common than objective abnormalities. Although less common, smell abnormalities impacted quality of life more. TSA characteristics were heterogeneous. Forty-seven per cent were at malnutrition risk. No association was found between TSA and nutritional status. Over two thirds had at least one TSA and almost half were at malnutrition risk. Self-reported TSA included changes in taste and smell perception, and most commonly persistent bad taste. This study demonstrated the complexity of TSA assessment and the prevalence, severity and impact of these and related symptoms in treatment-naïve cancer patients.

‘You won’t See Anyone Promoting a Bronze’: Awards and Ambivalence Amongst Craft Gin Producers

The recent surge in the popularity of ‘craft’ and ‘artisanal’ spirits made in small batches by independent producers raises a range of questions about the processes by which the economic and cultural value of consumer products and practices are assessed and acknowledged. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 20 craft gin distillery workers in the UK, this paper analyses the role played by trade and press awards in this process. Whilst the majority of interviewees had received awards for their products and most recognised the continued importance of such accolades both in terms of attracting new customers and bestowing status on their labour and its outputs, many also expressed notable ambivalence towards the processes by which judgements are passed and awards allocated. This typically involved expressing cynicism about award judging procedures and motivations, as well as proposing alternative measures of judgement involving different referents such as specific influential individuals, hypothetical ‘average customers’ and personal subjective tastes and preferences. The paper therefore seeks to add to understandings of the personal and cultural narratives associated with practices of award giving and consumer culture.

Consumption Preference of Foreign pasta in Eastern Ethiopia: A household Analysis in Dire Dawa CityConsumption Preference of Foreign pasta in Eastern Ethiopia: A household Analysis in Dire Dawa City

Consumer preferences are defined as the subjective (individual) tastes, as measured by utility, of various bundles of goods. They permit the consumer to rank these bundles of goods according to the levels of utility they give the consumer. Researchers have examined the Consumers` preference related to their attributes for imported and local Products in Dire Dawa City Administration taking pasta as case study. Probabilistic multistage sampling is identified as a means of collecting data from appropriate sampling units. Both qualitative and quantitative analytical techniques used for analyzing the collected data. Simple statistical techniques and logical data analysis/ narrative analysis were also used for qualitative data as of necessary. The quantitative techniques employed descriptive statistics and supported by inferential statistics like t-statistic value and statistic value and ANOVA. STATA12 is used for processing and analyzing of data.In the study, we found that households mostly prefer and purchase Badrya(96%) and Bahir (92%) pastas relative to other types consistently more than three years. households prefer forein pasta foods because have best and wanted attributes. Thus their attributes of safe for cooking, easily available in the market, attractive style and structure, sweetness, and safe for eating are main factors for the preference of foreign pasta. Keywords : Consumption preference, Dire Dawa City, and Past types DOI : 10.7176/JESD/10-15-01 Publication date : August 31 st 2019

Chemotherapy alters subjective senses of taste and smell but not dietary patterns in Japanese lung cancer patients.

To investigate how outpatient-based chemotherapy would alter the senses of taste and smell and affect daily dietary intake in patients with lung cancer. The self-reported taste and smell alteration (TSA) in 35 Japanese patients with lung cancer as well as their patterns of dietary intake at home were tested using a questionnaire. The patients experienced considerable TSA, and smoking was shown to contribute to this alteration. Specifically, current or past smokers were more likely to experience subjective taste change during chemotherapy than never smokers were. Chemotherapy made steamed rice or sushi the most unfavorable food in the patients; on the other hand, Japanese-style noodles were the most preferred during chemotherapy. Nevertheless, the patients maintained their habit of consuming steamed rice at home at least once a day, suggesting the robustness of dietary habits despite the TSA caused by chemotherapy. Nutritional assessment as well as appropriate advice and intervention by dietitians is expected to improve the general conditions and quality of daily living in patients with cancer.

Suppression of sweet sensing with glucose, but not aspartame, delays gastric emptying and glycemic response

Previously, we reported that oral stimulation with Gymnema sylvestre (GS), a plant that selectively suppresses sweet taste sensation in humans, delayed gastric emptying and glycemic response during and after oral glucose ingestion. It is unclear whether these responses are triggered by sweet taste sensing per se. We tested the hypothesis that the effects of sweet taste sensing involving a low-energy sweetener, aspartame, alters gastric emptying, blood glucose, and plasma insulin responses during and after the prandial phase. Nine participants rinsed their mouths with either 25 mL of water (control) or a 2.5% GS solution, and then ingested 200 g (50 g × four times) of either 0.09% aspartame or 15% glucose solution containing 100 mg of 13C-sodium acetate. Gastric emptying was measured with a 13C breath test. Blood glucose and plasma insulin were measured at baseline as well as during and after ingestion of the sweet solutions. Decreased subjective sweet taste intensity was observed in the GS group for both the aspartame and glucose trials. In the aspartame trial, no measurements showed significant differences between either group. In the glucose trial, gastric emptying was delayed in the GS group compared to controls. In the initial phase, both during and after glucose ingestion in the glucose trial, blood glucose and plasma insulin responses were lower in the GS group than the controls. The presence or absence of sweet taste-sensing involving glucose had a significant effect on gastric emptying and glycemic metabolism, both during and after the prandial phase, as opposed to the effects involving aspartame.

Modifications of taste sensitivity in cancer patients: a method for the evaluations of dysgeusia.

Taste changes due to chemotherapy may contribute to the high prevalence of malnutrition in cancer patients. It is believed that 50-70% of patients with cancer suffer from taste disorders. The aim of the present study was to analyze the taste alterations in patient population compared with that in controls, also in relation to gender. In this way, it could open to a new approach for a personalized diet to prevent and/or reduce taste alterations and malnutrition in cancer patients. Forty-five cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy were compared with healthy controls (n = 32). Taste function test was used to determine taste sensitivity. Different concentrations for each of the four basic tastes (salty, sweet, sour, bitter) and also fat and water tastes were evaluated. A significant difference in taste sensitivity between patients and control group was found, in line with previous similar studies. As in the control group, taste perception in patients was better in females than in males, suggesting interaction effect between group and gender. Coping strategies regarding subjective taste impairment should be provided since alterations in taste sensitivity influence food preferences and appetite. Clinicians could thus have the potential to underpin changes in dietary intake and consequently in nutritional status; understanding the extent of the contribution of each taste would help in the development of effective interventions in future. Consequently, patients can adopt appropriate appetizing strategies and, based on that, change their feeding habits.

Taste disorders following cancer treatment: report of a case series.

To present the findings of combined oral assessment and gustometry testing of a series of head and neck and hematologic malignancies in patients with self-reported taste change after cytotoxic therapies. Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), multiple myeloma (MM), and head and neck cancer (HNC) were evaluated for taste function. Chemical gustometry was conducted assessing chemosensory qualities that included sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami, and spicy. NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) 4.0 and the Scale of Subjective Total Taste Acuity (STTA) were used to describe taste symptoms. Saliva flow rates were measured to determine the presence of hyposalivation. Patients were provided treatment trials for taste dysfunction, including zinc supplements, or medications that included clonazepam, megestrol acetate, and the cannabinoid dronabinol. According to STTA, hematology cases reported the incidence of grades 2 and 3 taste disturbances as 60% and 40%, respectively. For HNC patients, the incidence of grades 2 and 3 was 44% each. Gustometry tests confirmed dysgeusia in all patients evaluated. In the hematology group, 80% of patients exhibited a decrease in sweet taste perception, and no patients correctly identified umami taste. In the HNC group, most patients could not identify salt taste, 66% of patients reported "no sensation" with spicy taste, bitter taste was reduced in some, and increased or altered in others, while only one patient could identify umami taste. In the hematologic and HNC patient groups, 80% and 66% reported grade 2 dry mouth, respectively, according to CTCAE 4.0. After treatment for taste dysfunction, 71% of all patients in the present study reported improvements in taste function. Persisting dysgeusia in cancer survivors may be assessed by patient report and taste testing. The taste most affected in our patients was umami. Treatment trials with current interventions for dysgeusia appeared effective and should be considered in cancer survivors. Understanding taste and flavor function during and following cancer treatment is important in developing rational prospective preventive and interventional strategies.

Subjective and Objective Assessment of Taste and Smell Sensation in Advanced Cancer.

Taste and smell abnormalities (TSA) occur throughout the cancer trajectory regardless of cancer primary site and contribute to cancer-associated malnutrition. TSA etiology is poorly understood. Tumor-related inflammation is a possible cause. This study examined the prevalence, characteristics, and severity of TSA in advanced cancer and explored the relationship between TSA and nutritional status. No previous study combined subjective and objective measures for both taste and smell assessment in this population. Consecutive advanced cancer hospice patients were recruited. A modified version of the "Taste and Smell Survey" assessed subjective TSA. Validated taste strips and "Sniffin' Sticks" were the objective measures. The abridged patient-generated subjective global assessment evaluated nutritional status. A 93% prevalence of TSA in 30 patients with advanced cancer was identified. When subjective and objective evaluations were combined, 28 had taste abnormalities, 24 smell abnormalities, and 24 both. Taste changes included "persistent bad taste" (n = 18) and changes in how basic tastes were perceived. Half reported smell was not "as strong" as prediagnosis, while more than half (n = 16) had an objective smell abnormality. Most (97%) were at risk of malnutrition. Fatigue, dry mouth, early satiety, and anorexia were common nutrition-impact symptoms. No statistically significant relationship was found between TSA and malnutrition scores. TSA were highly prevalent. Subjective taste and smell changes did not always accord with objective TSA, suggesting both assessments are valuable. TSA characteristics varied, and particular foods tasted and smelled different and were not enjoyed as before. TSA are common, high-impact problems in advanced cancer.