Effect of nasal dilators on pleasantness, intensity and sampling behaviors of foods in the oral cavity.
The present study assessed the effect of nasal dilators on ratings of food intensity and pleasantness. Participants wearing the dilators rated foods in the oral cavity as less pleasant and more intense than did those participants wearing a placebo strip. In addition, they consumed less of the test stimuli. Significant interactions were noted between food stimuli and placebo vs. nasal dilator strip conditions, indicating certain food qualities, particularly initial pleasantness, combine to produce enhanced changes in perception. Changes in the intensity and pleasantness of foods was most pronounced in foods characterized as initially pleasant. A review of studies to date indicate that both foods and odors are perceived as more intense and less pleasant during nasal dilation, suggesting an impact of the dilators on both retronasal and orthonasal air flow.
Raudenbush
B
B
Department of Psychology, Wheeling Jesuit University, Wheeling, WV 26003, USA. raudenbc@wju.edu
Meyer
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004106:Dilatation / Q000379:methods*; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D009812:Odorants; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000502:physiology*; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*