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Psychophysical Tracking Method to Assess Taste Detection Thresholds in Children, Adolescents, and Adults: The Taste Detection Threshold (TDT) Test
08:52

Psychophysical Tracking Method to Assess Taste Detection Thresholds in Children, Adolescents, and Adults: The Taste Detection Threshold (TDT) Test

Published on: April 21, 2021

Ageing and taste.

Lisa Methven1, Victoria J Allen, Caroline A Withers

  • 1Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AP, UK. l.methven@reading.ac.uk

The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
|August 14, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Aging significantly impacts taste perception, increasing detection thresholds across all tastes. While identification and intensity perception generally decline, the sweet taste intensity may remain unaffected in older adults.

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Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Sensory Science
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Taste perception is crucial for food enjoyment and nutritional intake.
  • Changes in taste perception are often associated with the aging process.
  • Previous research indicates potential declines in taste sensitivity with age.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and synthesize existing research on the effects of aging on taste perception.
  • To determine the extent of sensory decline in taste perception among older adults.
  • To identify variations in taste decline across different taste modalities and perception levels.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature search across five databases (1900-April 2012).
  • Inclusion of studies on healthy aging in human subjects, rated using the Downs and Black scoring system.
  • Meta-analysis of detection thresholds and review of identification and supra-threshold intensity perception studies.

Main Results:

  • A significant increase in taste detection thresholds with age across all taste modalities (Hedges' g = 0.91, P < 0.001).
  • Seventeen out of eighteen studies reported higher taste identification thresholds for older adults.
  • Sixteen out of twenty-five studies indicated a lower perception of taste intensity at supra-threshold levels in older adults, though sweet taste intensity perception remained largely unchanged in some studies.

Conclusions:

  • Healthy aging is associated with a decline in taste perception, affecting detection, identification, and intensity.
  • The extent of taste decline varies, with sweet taste intensity potentially being less affected.
  • The reviewed studies had low methodological quality, emphasizing the need for robust, large-scale, longitudinal research on aging and sensory perception.