Comparison of salivary proteome of children with different sensitivities for bitter and sweet tastes: association with body mass index.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Oral sensorial perception is a key aspect in food choices and knowing the mechanisms modulating such perception is of major importance in the context of child obesity, which is reaching high rates in Mediterranean countries. Salivary proteome has been linked to taste sensitivity in adults. The aim of this study was to search for differences in salivary proteomes of children with different bitter or sweet taste sensitivities and to assess if these potential differences are associated with their body mass index percentile (BMI percentile). SUBJECTS/METHODS: 387 children aged 8-9 years old were assessed for BMI percentile and classified according to their sensitivity to bitter and sweet tastes, according to their caffeine and sucrose detection thresholds, respectively. Saliva protein composition was compared among taste sensitivity groups, taking into account BMI percentile and gender, using gel-based proteomics approaches, coupled to mass spectrometry for protein identification. RESULTS: Among the salivary proteins related to bitter taste sensitivity, higher levels of cystatins were observed in bitter-sensitive children, in the case of those of normal weight, and in bitter low-sensitive, in the case of overweight children. For sweetness, the relationship between saliva and taste perception was also dependent on BMI percentile, with several proteins (including salivary cystatins) differing between taste sensitivity groups, with disparities arising between normal-weight and overweight children. Cystatin isoforms A, B and SA were observed to be considerably increased in saliva from obese children. CONCLUSIONS: Salivary proteome is related with sensitivities to bitter and sweet tastes in children, but the association is dependent on BMI percentile and gender.

Characteristic changes of saliva and taste in burning mouth syndrome patients.

BACKGROUND: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is characterized by chronic pain with a burning sensation of the tongue and oral mucosa and reported to be often accompanied by subjective xerostomia and dysgeusia. Since the etiology of BMS has not been elucidated, to understand the characteristics of BMS, we measured some components of saliva and taste sensitivity and compared the measured values between BMS and healthy subjects. METHODS: Unstimulated saliva was collected from 15 female BMS patients and 30 healthy women. The flow rate, viscosity (spinnability) and concentration of secretory IgA (SIgA) of saliva and serum antioxidant capacity were measured. The recognition thresholds for sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami tastes were measured by whole-mouth method. The statistical analyses were performed using Student's t-test, and P < 0.05 was considered to be significant. RESULTS: In BMS group, the flow rate of saliva was significantly lower and the spinnability was significantly higher compared with healthy group. The secreted amount of SIgA per min and serum antioxidant capacity was significantly lower in the patients. The threshold for sourness in patients was significantly higher, while those for other tastes did not differ from healthy group. CONCLUSIONS: BMS patients showed lower salivary flow and higher salivary spinnability. These results together with decreased SIgA amount, suggest that BMS may be relevant to the deterioration of salivary condition, which could in turn affect taste function. Furthermore, the lower antioxidant capacity in patient's serum suggests that it can serve as a diagnostic tool for BMS.

[Global and Spatial Gustatory Function after Proven Unilateral Transsection of the Chorda Tympani]. / Globales und regionales Schmeckvermögen nach einseitiger Durchtrennung der Chorda tympani.

BACKGROUND: A transection of the chorda tympani results in loss of spatial gustatory function on the ipsilateral tongue. Most patients do not notice anymore this alteration. The cause is unclear. Do adjacent gustatory areas become more sensitive or is the gustatory perception rather independent of the size of stimulated area? METHODS: 51 patients with proven unilateral transection of the chorda tympani and 51 healthy subjects were tested for gustatory recognition thresholds. The methods used were the "three-drops-choice-technique" by Henkin to evaluate the whole mouth taste (global taste examination) and the "spatial taste test" to evaluate the local gustatory function on 4 areas of the tongue. The taste solutions were sweet, sour, salty and bitter with increasing concentrations. RESULTS: The global gustatory function of the patients and of the control group did not differ in either the 4 taste qualities but the composite score was increased within the group of patients. Most patients did not realize that. The spatial taste examination showed reduction of taste perception on 3 of the 4 gustatory areas of the tongue in the patients. The decreased gustatory function on the area of the transected chorda remained unchanged over time. The taste attenuation on the ipsilateral back area and the contralateral front area improved over time. CONCLUSION: Transection of chorda tympani also leads to an attenuation of spatial gustatory function in adjacent areas. Therefore, adjacent areas cannot be taken as reference. Instead, taste function has to be compared to the results of healthy probands.

Salivary protein profiles are linked to bitter taste acceptance in infants.

UNLABELLED: Based on recent studies in adult subjects, saliva composition is increasingly considered as a physiological factor contributing to taste sensitivity or acceptance. In order to evaluate a possible link between salivary protein composition and taste acceptance in infants, 73 infants participated longitudinally in taste acceptance tests and donated saliva at the age at 3 and 6 months. Intake ratios, reflecting acceptance of a taste solution relative to water were calculated for the five basic tastes. Salivary proteins were separated by one-dimensional electrophoresis and bands were semi-quantified by image analysis. Partial least square (PLS) regression analyses were performed for each taste at both ages to explain intake ratios by band intensities. Bitterness acceptance in the younger infants was unique in the sense that salivary protein profiles could partly predict bitter taste acceptance. At that age, infants were on average indifferent to the 0.18-M urea solution, but great variability in acceptance was observed. The six bands considered as the best predictors for bitterness acceptance were identified by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Higher abundance of bands containing secretory component, zinc-α-2-glycoprotein and carbonic anhydrase 6 was associated to a lower bitterness acceptance, while higher abundance of bands containing lactoperoxidase, prolactin-inducible protein and S-type cystatins was associated to a higher bitterness acceptance. In a second stage, S-type cystatin abundance was measured by Western blotting in order to tentatively confirm this particular finding in an independent group of 22 infants. Although not reaching statistical significance, probably due to a relatively small sample size, it was again observed that cystatin abundance was higher in infants accepting more readily the bitter solution over water. CONCLUSION: saliva protein composition may contribute to bitter taste acceptance in the younger infants.

Intensity of regionally applied tastes in relation to administration method: an investigation based on the "taste strips" test.

To compare various methods to apply regional taste stimuli to the tongue. "Taste strips" are a clinical tool to determine gustatory function. How a patient perceives the chemical environment in the mouth is a result of many factors such as taste bud distribution and interactions between the cranial nerves. To date, there have been few studies describing the different approaches to administer taste strips to maximize taste identification accuracy and intensity. This is a normative value acquisition pilot and single-center study. The investigation involved 30 participants reporting a normal sense of smell and taste (18 women, 12 men, mean age 33 years). The taste test was based on spoon-shaped filter paper strips impregnated with four taste qualities (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter) at concentrations shown to be easily detectable by young healthy subjects. The strips were administered in three methods (held stationary on the tip of the tongue, applied across the tongue, held in the mouth), resulting in a total of 12 trials per participant. Subjects identified the taste from a list of four descriptors, (sweet, sour, salty, bitter) and ranked the intensity on a scale from 0 to 10. Statistical analyses were performed on the accuracy of taste identification and rated intensities. The participants perceived in order of most to least intense: salt, sour, bitter, sweet. Of the four tastes, sour consistently was least accurately identified. Presenting the taste strip inside the closed mouth of the participants produced the least accurate taste identification, whereas moving the taste strip across the tongue led to a significant increase in intensity for the sweet taste. In this study of 30 subjects at the second concentration, optimized accuracy and intensity of taste identification was observed through administration of taste strips laterally across the anterior third of the extended tongue. Further studies are required on more subjects and the additional concentrations prior to determining the ideal taste strip application method.

[Changes in taste ability in patients with vestibular schwannoma]. / Veränderung des Schmeckvermögens bei Patienten mit Vestibularisschwannom.

Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are rare tumors that can cause different symptoms due to their anatomical relationship to the cranial nerves in the inner auditory canal. So far little data is known to the effect of VS on the somatosensory function of the intermediate nerve. This study aimed to investigate the taste function of patients suffering from single sided VS. Therefore the well validated psychophysical test "Taste Strips" has been used. 26 patients who consulted our outpatient clinic at a university hospital could be included in the study. All patients were asked carefully for their medical history. A full ENT examination was done. Each side of the anterior two thirds of the tongue was tested separately using the Taste Strips. The average age was 52 years with both gender equally represented. Throughout all age groups the taste score was lower on the tumor vs. the non affected side. Testing for significance just failed the level of 0.05. No correlation between tumor size and location of the tumor with the taste score could be detected. Only 2 patients complained of taste dysfunction. They had a taste score below the 10. percentile of their age group on tumor while normal scores on the non affected side. To sum up a decreased taste score on the tumor side vs. the non affected side could be confirmed. Only 8% of the patients complained of taste disturbance as a symptom. That supports the observation that taste is a whole mouth experience and dysfunction can be compensated.

Salivary buffering capacity is correlated with umami but not sour taste sensitivity in healthy adult Japanese subjects.

OBJECTIVE: Saliva serves multiple important functions crucial for maintaining a healthy oral and systemic environment. Among them, the pH buffering effect, which is primarily mediated by bicarbonate ions, helps maintain oral homeostasis by neutralizing acidity from ingested foods. Therefore, higher buffering capacity, reflecting the ability to neutralize oral acidity, may influence taste sensitivity, especially for sour taste since it involves sensing H+ ions. This study aims to explore the relationship between salivary buffering capacity and taste sensitivities to the five basic tastes in healthy adult humans. DESIGN: Eighty seven healthy adult students participated in this study. Resting saliva volume was measured using the spitting method. The liquid colorimetric test was used to assess salivary buffering capacity. The whole-mouth taste testing method was employed to determine the recognition threshold for each tastant (NaCl, sucrose, citric acid, quinine-HCl, monosodium glutamate). RESULTS: Taste recognition thresholds for sour taste as well as sweet, salty, and bitter tastes showed no correlation with salivary buffering capacity. Interestingly, a negative relationship was observed between recognition threshold for umami taste and salivary buffering capacity. Furthermore, a positive correlation between salivary buffering capacity and resting saliva volume was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Salivary buffering capacity primarily influences sensitivity to umami taste, but not sour and other tastes.

Evaluation of gustatory function in HIV-infected subjects with and without HAART.

BACKGROUND: Alteration in gustatory function among patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is sparsely studied and provides contradictory findings. The objectives of the study were to evaluate taste perversion in HIV-infected subjects and compare taste acuity between patients with and without Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty HIV-infected subjects aged 25-55 years were selected and divided into two subgroups: patients with HAART and patients without HAART. Control group included 50 healthy, age-, sex-, gender-, and socioeconomic status-matched individuals. Taste complaints were recorded on a structured questionnaire, and formal taste testing was carried out with triadic forced choice whole-mouth, above-threshold taste test for four tastants - sweet, salt, sour, and bitter. Taste identification, detection threshold, and intensity of tastant were recorded. RESULTS: Twenty-four (48%) among study group complained of taste perversion when compared to none among the control group (P < 0.001). During taste testing, identification and intensity scores were lower, while detection threshold scores for four tastants were higher in study group than in control group (P < 0.05). Among those patients with taste complaints, 16 were with HAART, while eight were without HAART (P = 0.043). Formal taste testing revealed greater taste perversion for sour and bitter tastants among patients with HAART medication. CONCLUSION: The results document significant taste losses in HIV-infected subjects, and HAART contributes considerably to such taste perversion.

Visualization of the relationship between electrogustometry and whole mouth test using multidimensional scaling.

Interpreting the relationship between different taste function tests of different stimuli, such as chemical and electrical stimulation, is still poorly understood. This study aims to analyze visually as well as quantitatively how to interpret the relationship of results between taste function tests using different stimuli. Patients who underwent the whole mouth test and Electrogustometry (EGM) at a tertiary medical center between August 2018 and December 2018 were reviewed retrospectively with electronic medical records. Of the 110 patients, a total of 86 adults who self-reported that their taste function was normal through a questionnaire were enrolled. EGM measured the thresholds of the chorda tympani (CT) and glossopharyngeal nerve (GL) area of the tongue. The whole mouth test measured detection and recognition thresholds for sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami taste. Statistical analyses of Pearson's, Spearman's rank and polyserial correlation and multidimensional scaling (MDS) was performed. The EGM threshold for the average value of both CT regions and the recognition threshold of the whole mouth test were significantly correlated in sweet, salty, bitter, and sour taste (r = 0.244-0.398, P < 0.05), and the detection threshold was correlated only significant in sweet (r = 0.360, P = 0.007). In the MDS analysis results, the three-dimensional (D) solution was chosen over the 2-D solution because of the lower stress. Detection-, recognition threshold of whole mouth test and EGM thresholds of CT and GL area, those were standardized by Z-score, formed well-distinguished sections in the MDS analyses. The EGM threshold of the CT area was closer to the detection and recognition thresholds than the EGM threshold of the GL area. In general, the EGM threshold was closer to the recognition threshold than the detection threshold for each taste. Overall, visualization of the relationship of whole mouth test and EGM by MDS was in good agreement with quantitative analysis. EGM and whole mouth test seem to reflect different aspects of taste. However, when interpreting the EGM results, the EGM threshold of the CT area will show more similarity to the recognition threshold than the detection threshold for the whole mouth test.

Receptor agonism and antagonism of dietary bitter compounds.

Food contains complex blends of structurally diverse bitter compounds that trigger bitterness through activation of one or more of the ∼25 human TAS2 bitter taste receptors. It remains unsolved, however, whether the perceived bitterness of binary bitter-compound mixtures can be considered an additive function of all bitter-inducing chemicals in the mouth, suggesting that little mutual interaction takes place among bitter substances or if mixture suppression and synergism occurs. Here we report on two natural sesquiterpene lactones from edible plants, which stimulate distinct sets of hTAS2Rs in transfected cells. Both chemicals also robustly inhibit different but overlapping subsets of agonist-activated hTAS2Rs. These findings demonstrate that mixtures of bitter compounds, because they normally occur in human foodstuff, likely elicit bitter perception in a complex and not in a merely additive manner. An unexpected implication of this discovery is that, during evolution, the naturally occurring bitter taste receptor antagonists have shaped some of the pharmacological properties of the receptors, such as overlapping recognition profiles and breadth of tuning.

Salivary protein profiles and sensitivity to the bitter taste of caffeine.

The interindividual variation in the sensitivity to bitterness is attributed in part to genetic polymorphism at the taste receptor level, but other factors, such as saliva composition, might be involved. In order to investigate this, 2 groups of subjects (hyposensitive, hypersensitive) were selected from 29 healthy male volunteers based on their detection thresholds for caffeine, and their salivary proteome composition was compared. Abundance of 26 of the 255 spots detected on saliva electrophoretic patterns was significantly different between hypo- and hypersensitive subjects. Saliva of hypersensitive subjects contained higher levels of amylase fragments, immunoglobulins, and serum albumin and/or serum albumin fragments. It also contained lower levels of cystatin SN, an inhibitor of protease. The results suggest that proteolysis occurring within the oral cavity is an important perireceptor factor associated to the sensitivity to the bitter taste of caffeine.

Comparative evaluation of gustatory function between postmenopausal women and age-matched men.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare the gustatory function between postmenopausal women and age-matched men. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: During a period of 4 months, 30 postmenopausal women and 30 age-matched men were prospectively evaluated for gustatory function. Each subject was given a symptoms questionnaire for self-assessment of taste function. Then, whole mouth taste test was performed in which the quality identification and intensity ratings of taste solutions were measured. RESULTS: Regarding correct quality identification, the results were statistically non-significant (P > 0.05). As far as the intensity judgments are concerned, significant difference exists between postmenopausal women and age-matched men. Intensity of taste perception for sucrose was significantly lower in postmenopausal women than intensity of taste perception for other tastes (P < 0.05). One of the noticeable findings is that 15 (50%) postmenopausal women reported a change in dietary habits; all expressed liking for sweeter food. CONCLUSION: Postmenopausal women appeared to have a reduced perception of sucrose, which can alter eating habits, such as intake of more sweet foods, whereas no significant difference is observed in taste perception of NaCl, citric acid and quinine hydrochloride between postmenopausal women and age-matched men. Fifteen (50%) postmenopausal women stated fondness for sweet taste.

Somesthetic, gustatory, olfactory function and salivary flow in patients with neuropathic trigeminal pain.

OBJECTIVES: To determine somesthetic, olfactory, gustative and salivary abnormalities in patients with burning mouth syndrome (BMS), idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia (ITN) and trigeminal postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty patients from each group (BMS, ITN, PHN) and 60 healthy controls were evaluated with a systematized quantitative approach of thermal (cold and warm), mechanical, pain, gustation, olfaction and salivary flow; data were analyzed with ANOVA, Tukey, Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests with a level of significance of 5%. RESULTS: There were no salivary differences among the groups with matched ages; the cold perception was abnormal only at the mandibular branch of PHN (P = 0.001) and warm was abnormal in all trigeminal branches of PHN and BMS; mechanical sensitivity was altered at the mandibular branch of PHN and in all trigeminal branches of BMS. The salty, sweet and olfactory thresholds were higher in all studied groups; the sour threshold was lower and there were no differences of bitter. CONCLUSION: All groups showed abnormal thresholds of gustation and olfaction; somesthetic findings were discrete in ITN and more common in PHN and BMS; central mechanisms of balance of sensorial inputs might be underlying these observations.

The improvement of sweet taste sensitivity with decrease in serum leptin levels during weight loss in obese females.

Leptin may influence sweet taste sensitivity. However, there are no reports on an association between the sweet taste threshold and serum leptin levels during weight loss in humans. We investigated the changes in the sweet taste threshold and the serum leptin levels during a weight-loss program, in connection with a leptin receptor polymorphism (Lys109Arg) that may be related to insulin and glucose metabolism. The study included 20 obese, but otherwise healthy, females (mean age: 55 +/- 7 years, body mass index: 26.1 +/- 1.7 kg/m(2)). Participants completed a 12-week weight-loss program based on energy restriction through diet and exercise, which aimed at achieving their optimal weight. The sweet taste threshold was determined according to the whole-mouth gustatory method. Genetic analyses were performed using the allele-specific DNA assay. Serum leptin levels were decreased from 9.2 +/- 4.5 to 7.9 +/- 4.9 ng/ml (p = 0.014) after body weight loss. The sweet taste threshold also decreased significantly from 0.59 +/- 0.42 to 0.22 +/- 0.20% in a solution of sucrose (p = 0.004). In contrast, there were no differences in changes of the threshold between participants with and without the Lys109 allele. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the changes in serum leptin levels were significantly correlated with those in the sweet taste threshold, independent of the initial threshold levels and the Lys109 allele. In conclusion, the serum leptin levels are decreased significantly during a weight-loss program in obese females, which may be associated with the decrease in the sweet taste threshold.

Ice cube stimulation helps to improve dysgeusia.

Dysgeusia causes a decrease in appetite, and it is one of the major factors in undernutrition. Dysgeusia is elicited by numerous causes, and in many cases it is still difficult to treat the various symptoms complained of by patients. We herein report a case in which dysgeusia was improved by transient cooling of the mouth.

Differences in Sweet Taste Perception and Its Association with the Streptococcus mutans Cariogenic Profile in Preschool Children with Caries.

The aim of the study was to verify the hypothesis about differences in sweet taste perception in the group of preschool children with and without caries, and to determine its relationship with cariogenic microbiota and the frequency of sweets consumption in children. The study group included of 63 children aged 2-6 years: 32 with caries and 31 without caries. The study consisted of collecting questionnaire data and assessment of dental status using the decayed, missing, filled in primary teeth index (dmft) and the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II). The evaluation of sweet taste perception was carried out using a specific method that simultaneously assessed the level of taste preferences and the sensitivity threshold for a given taste. The microbiological analysis consisted of the assessment of the quantitative and qualitative compositions of the oral microbiota of the examined children. The sweet taste perception of children with caries was characterized by a lower susceptibility to sucrose (the preferred sucrose solution concentration was >4 g/L) compared to children without caries (in the range ≤ 4 g/L, p = 0.0015, chi-square test). A similar relationship was also observed for frequent snacking between meals (p = 0.0038, chi-square test). The analysis of studied variables showed the existence of a strong positive correlation between the perception of sweet taste and the occurrence and intensity of the cariogenic process (p = 0.007 for dmft; and p = 0.012 for ICDAS II), as well as the frequency of consuming sweets (p ≤ 0.001 for frequent and repeated consumption of sweets during the day, Spearman test) in children with caries. Additionally, children with an elevated sucrose taste threshold were more than 10-times more likely to develop S. mutans presence (OR = 10.21; 95% CI 3.11-33.44). The results of this study suggest the future use of taste preferences in children as a diagnostic tool for the early detection of increased susceptibility to caries through microbial dysbiosis towards specific species of microorganisms.

[Thurstone model application to difference sensory tests]. / Aplicación del modelo de Thurstone a las pruebas sensoriales de diferencia.

Part of understanding why judges perform better on some difference tests than others requires an understanding of how information coming from the mouth to the brain is processed. For some tests it is processed more efficiently than others. This is described by what has been called Thurstonian modeling. This brief review introduces the concepts and ideas involved in Thurstonian modeling as applied to sensory difference measurement. It summarizes the literature concerned with the theorizing and confirmation of Thurstonian models. It introduces the important concept of stimulus variability and the fundamental measure of sensory difference: d'. It indicates how the paradox of discriminatory non-discriminators, which had puzzled researchers for years, can be simply explained using the model. It considers how memory effects and the complex interactions in the mouth can reduce d' by increasing the variance of sensory distributions.

A bitter taste in the mouth: The role of 6-n-propylthiouracil taster status and sex in food disgust sensitivity.

We investigated the relationship between perceived bitterness, food disgust sensitivity, and sex. Participants completed the 8-item Food Disgust Scale and a 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) taster test and were categorised as PROP non-tasters, medium-tasters, or supertasters. An analysis of variance of between-subject factors sex and PROP taster status was conducted with disgust sensitivity as the dependent variable. We found a significant interaction of sex and PROP taster status on disgust sensitivity and an association between disgust sensitivity and PROP taster status in males but not in females. Our study provided new evidence on sex differences in food disgust and PROP taste sensitivity.

Rheological parameters of saliva in comparison with taste examination.

BACKGROUND: It is generally unknown if taste sensitivity is dependent upon saliva viscosity. The rheological properties of saliva result from many factors and it has been shown to behave as a non-Newtonian fluid whose viscosity decreases with increasing shear rate. Taste sensitivity may be quantitatively assayed by electro-gustometry. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work was to compare saliva rheological properties, obtained with a rotary-oscillating rheometer, to quantitative measures of taste sensitivity, using electro-gustometry. METHODS: Saliva samples were taken from 27 healthy non-smoking donors - 7 men and 20 women aged 18-65 years (mean age - 37 years). After thresholds of taste sensation were measured, the saliva samples were taken and characterized in terms of their rheological properties and pH. Saliva viscosity was measured in the order of decreasing shear rate in the range 100-0.01 s-1. Viscoelastic properties were examined under constant frequency oscillations (with f = 0.5 Hz) and with decreasing shear effective amplitude γeff'. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Saliva viscosity was found to decrease with increasing shear rate and varied with time. Analysis of the dependence of the viscosity values of saliva and components of complex viscosity did not show a significant correlation with taste sensation. A dependency of taste sensation on pH could not be discerned due to the narrow range of naturally occurring pH.

Clinical implications of taste thresholds in patients with odontogenic maxillary sinusitis.

Patients with odontogenic maxillary sinusitis (OMS) often complain of reduced taste sensitivity as well as nasal obstruction. The filter paper disc method (the conventional gustatory test) was applied to nine patients who underwent sinus surgery to open the inferior nasal meatus and sinus drainage, on three different days: 1day prior to surgery, 7days postoperative, and 28days postoperative. The same test was applied to nine non-clinical participants with or without clipping the nose to interfere with smooth nasal airflow on two different days. Acquired recognition thresholds for the four basic tastes of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter were assessed. In OMS patients, the recognition thresholds for all four tastes were markedly decreased at 7 and 28days postoperative, and subjective taste sensitivity and the elimination of nasal obstruction was improved. The mean recognition threshold for the four tastes correlated negatively with taste satisfaction scores. Clipping the nose in non-clinical participants induced increases in gustatory detection and recognition thresholds. Despite the small sample size and different ages and sexes of the study subjects, it was demonstrated that nasal obstruction in OMS patients and nose clipping in non-clinical subjects reduce taste reactivity, and surgical intervention to promote nasal airflow recovers impaired taste reactivity.