Self-Administered Taste Testing Without Water: Normative Data for the 53-Item Waterless Empirical Taste Test (WETT)

Area of Science:

• Sensory science
• Clinical diagnostics
• Human physiology

Background:

• Millions of Americans experience chronic taste problems, often misdiagnosed due to inaccurate self-reports and confusion with flavor.
• Existing quantitative taste testing is infrequent and impractical for clinical use.
• A need exists for a reliable, norm-based clinical taste assessment tool.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish normative data for the Waterless Empirical Taste Test (WETT®).
• To evaluate the influence of age, sex, COVID-19 history, and smoking on taste test performance.
• To provide a practical tool for diagnosing taste dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• 1392 healthy individuals (aged 10-94) self-administered the 53-item WETT®.
• General linear models were used to analyze normative data and influencing factors.
• Normative percentile ranks were calculated for various demographic groups.

Main Results:

• WETT® scores decreased with age starting in the 30s and were lower in males than females.
• Taste declines were most pronounced between ages 40-70, affecting all five basic tastes.
• Smokers exhibited lower scores for salty and bitter tastes; COVID-19 history showed no impact.

Conclusions:

• The WETT® is a reliable, self-administered taste test requiring no liquid.
• Normative data from this study enable accurate interpretation of patient taste function.
• Age and sex are significant factors influencing taste perception in the general population.