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Altered food preference after cortical infarction: Korean style
1Department of Neurology, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea. jongskim@www.amc.seoul.kr
Cerebrovascular Diseases (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 27, 2002
Summary
Stroke can alter food preferences, leading to new cravings or aversions. This study highlights how damage to the taste cortex can change what patients enjoy eating.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Altered food preferences following a stroke are infrequently documented.
- This study investigates a rare phenomenon of changed food choices post-stroke.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe cases of altered food preference in patients with unilateral cortical infarction.
- To explore the relationship between stroke location, taste changes, and food preference.
Main Methods:
- Case report of four Korean patients with stroke-induced altered food preference.
- Clinical assessment of food preferences, taste perception, and dysgeusia.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify stroke location in the taste cortex.
Main Results:
- Patients developed new food preoccupations (e.g., meat) and intolerances (e.g., fish, spicy foods).
- Quantitative taste tests revealed decreased taste sensation and dysgeusia.
- Imaging localized the strokes to the frontal opercular area, the taste cortex.
Conclusions:
- Strokes affecting the taste cortex can lead to significant alterations in food preference.
- Changes in taste sensation are associated with these altered food preferences.
- This suggests a direct link between the taste cortex and gustatory-driven food choices.