A new extension to the ‘Taste strips’ test

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Axel Wolf - , Medical University of Graz (Author)
  • Oliver Illini - , Medical University of Vienna (Author)
  • Daniel Uy - , Medical University of Vienna (Author)
  • Bertold Renner - , Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Author)
  • Christian A. Mueller - , Medical University of Vienna (Author)

Abstract

Objective: Assessment of gustatory function in human subjects using the ‘taste strips’ test is an easy and validated procedure. The aim of this study was to extend this test in order to detect subjects with superior gustatory sensitivity. Methods: The investigation included 134 subjects (29.5±12.6 years, range 18-84 years) with normal gustatory function. Four concentrations of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter were augmented with additional low concentrations (sweet: 25/12.5mg/ml sucrose; sour: 27/15mg/ml citric acid; salty: 6.4/2.6mg/ml sodium chloride, bitter: 0.15/0.06mg/ml quinine hydrochloride), resulting in a maximum extended taste score (ETS) of 24. Results: The mean ETS was 14.5 ± 3.2. Specifically, it was 4.5 ± 1.2 for sweet, 2.8 ± 1.0 for sour, 4.0 ± 1.3 for salty, and 3.2 ± 1.2 for bitter. In contrast to the original version of the taste strips test, no ceiling effect was observed. Cluster analysis separated three groups of subjects by ETS, whereas test scores derived from the original four concentrations were insufficient to discriminate the subgroup with higher gustatory sensitivity. Conclusions: The extended taste strips test seems to be a useful tool for the detection of patients with low gustatory thresholds for sweet, sour, salty, or bitter taste.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)45-50
Number of pages6
JournalRhinology
Volume54
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 2016
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 26462295
ORCID /0000-0003-0845-6793/work/139025251

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Human, Normative data, Supertaster, Taste, Taste buds