Taste function assessed by electrogustometry in burning mouth syndrome: a case-control study

Idiopathic burning mouth syndrome (iBMS) is characterized by oral persistent pain without any clinical or biological abnormality. The aim of this study was to evaluate taste function in iBMS subjects and healthy controls.

Electrogustometric thresholds (EGMt) were recorded in 21 iBMS patients and 21 paired-matched controls at nine loci of the tongue assessing fungiform and foliate gustatory papillae function. Comparison of EGMt was performed using the nonparametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test. A correlation between EGMt and self-perceived pain intensity assessed using a visual analogic scale (VAS) was analyzed with the Spearman coefficient. The level of significance was fixed at P < 0.05.

Mean EGMt were significantly increased with iBMS for right side of the dorsum of the tongue and right lateral side of the tongue (P < 0.05). In the iBMS group, VAS scores were significantly correlated to EGMt at the tip of the tongue (r = -0.59; P < 0.05) and at the right and left lateral sides of the tongue (respectively, r = -0.49 and r = -0.47; P < 0.05).

These data depicted impaired taste sensitivity in iBMS patients within fungiform and foliate taste bud fields and support potent gustatory/nociceptive interaction in iBMS.