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Related Experiment Videos

Taste and olfactory intensity perception changes following left insular stroke.

Y Erica Mak1, Katharine B Simmons, Darren R Gitelman

  • 1The John B. Pierce Laboratory, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.

Behavioral Neuroscience
|January 20, 2006
PubMed
Summary

A left posterior insula stroke altered taste and smell perception. The patient showed increased sensitivity in the right side of his body, suggesting a loss of inhibition after the stroke.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Perception
  • Clinical Neurology

Background:

  • The insula, particularly the posterior part, plays a crucial role in integrating sensory information, including taste and smell.
  • Stroke affecting the insula can lead to complex sensory processing deficits.
  • Understanding the impact of focal brain lesions on sensory perception is vital for clinical diagnosis and rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of a left posterior insular stroke on suprathreshold intensity perception of gustatory and olfactory stimuli.
  • To compare sensory perception between the ipsilesional (left) and contralesional (right) sides of the body in a patient with a left posterior insular stroke.
  • To compare the patient's sensory perception with age-matched controls.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • A case study involving a 70-year-old right-handed male participant with a confirmed left posterior insular stroke.
  • Assessment of suprathreshold intensity perception for gustatory (taste) and olfactory (smell) stimuli.
  • Comparison of sensory ratings between the left (ipsilateral) and right (contralateral) sides of the body.
  • Comparison of the patient's performance with data from age-matched healthy controls.

Main Results:

  • Significant differences in intensity perception were observed between the left and right sides of the body for both gustatory and olfactory stimuli.
  • These differences were characterized by a trend toward increased sensitivity on the right (contralateral) side compared to controls.
  • The most pronounced changes in intensity perception occurred for unpleasant odors and tastes perceived as strongly pleasant (sweet) or unpleasant (salty, bitter).

Conclusions:

  • A lesion in the left posterior insula can similarly affect taste and olfactory perception.
  • The stroke appears to increase sensory sensitivity on the side of the body contralateral to the lesion.
  • A potential underlying mechanism for this increased sensitivity is the release from cortical inhibition.