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Quantitative assessment of gustatory function in a clinical context using impregnated "taste strips"
C Mueller1, S Kallert, B Renner
1Department of Pharmacology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Krankenhausstr. 9, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany. chr.mue@gmx.at
Rhinology
|April 8, 2003
Summary
A new taste strip test offers a simple, quick method for assessing gustatory sensitivity. This reliable test aids in diagnosing taste dysfunction in clinical settings.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Medicine
- Sensory Science
Background:
- Accurate assessment of gustatory sensitivity is crucial for diagnosing and treating taste dysfunction.
- Currently, no standardized taste test is widely established for routine clinical use.
- Existing methods can be time-consuming and complex for everyday practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an easily administered protocol for assessing taste sensitivity.
- To create a reliable and reproducible taste test for clinical settings.
Main Methods:
- Developed a taste test using filter paper strips impregnated with varying concentrations of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter solutions.
- Administered 18 taste strips (four concentrations of each taste quality plus two blanks) in a pseudo-randomized sequence to 69 subjects.
- Compared results with the established three-drop-technique and assessed reproducibility through repeated measures.
Main Results:
- The new taste strip test showed significant correlation with the established three-drop-technique (r69 = 0.67).
- Repeated measures demonstrated good reproducibility for the taste strips (r69 = 0.68).
- The test takes approximately 8 minutes to administer and allows for separate testing of each tongue side.
Conclusions:
- The developed taste strip technique is a viable and useful tool for routine clinical assessment of gustatory sensitivity.
- Advantages include a long shelf-life, ease of administration, and short testing time.
- This method can aid in the diagnosis and management of taste dysfunction.