title: Rapid quantitative assessment of fungiform papillae density in the human tongue.
abstract: Fungiform papillae density, which can be used in a variety of circumstances as an indicator of taste function [L.M. Bartoshuk, V.B. Duffy, I.J. Miller, PTC/PROP tasting: anatomy, psychophysics and sex effects, Physiol. Behav. 56 (1994) 1165-1171; I.J. Miller, F.E. Reedy, Variation in human taste bud density and taste intensity perception, Physiol. Behav. 47 (1990) 1213-1219; J.R. Zuniga, N. Chen, C.L. Phillips, Chemosensory and somatosensory regeneration after lingual nerve repair in humans, J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. 55 (1997) 2-13], was measured on the dorsal surface of the anterior tongue of living humans using a digital camera and a videomicroscope. Both procedures provided similar results, with the camera providing a more rapid, portable and flexible imaging procedure. Subsequently, the camera was successfully used to identify small regions of the anterior tongue which provide reliable measures of fungiform papillae density that correlate highly with the total number of fungiform papillae on the anterior tongue.
authors.affiliation: Children's Food Research and Education Unit, Centre for Advanced Food Research, College of Science, Technology and Environment, University of Western Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shahbake
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Laing
authors.forename: Anthony L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Jinks
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003771:Dental Papilla; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018715:Microscopy, Video / Q000379:methods; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D014059:Tongue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*