"Taste Strips" - a rapid, lateralized, gustatory bedside identification test based on impregnated filter papers

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychophysics
• Sensory Science

Background:

• The
• Taste Strips
• is a widely used psychophysical taste test lacking comprehensive normative data.
• Previous investigations used small sample sizes, limiting clinical applicability.
• Establishing reliable normative values is crucial for accurate gustatory function assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine normative values for the
• Taste Strips
• clinical taste test.
• To provide a robust dataset for distinguishing normal taste perception from hypogeusia.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter normative value acquisition study involving 537 participants (18-87 years) with normal smell and taste.
• Utilized filter paper strips impregnated with four basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter) at varying concentrations.
• Participants identified tastes presented on the anterior tongue, with a total taste score calculated.

Main Results:

• Taste function significantly decreased with increasing age.
• Women consistently achieved higher taste scores than men across all age groups.
• The 10th percentile taste score was identified as a reliable cut-off for normogeusia versus hypogeusia.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully generated normative values for the
• Taste Strips
• based on a large cohort.
• These values are suitable for clinical use in assessing gustatory function.
• The findings support the clinical utility of the
• Taste Strips
• for diagnosing taste disorders.