Clinical assessment of human gustatory function using event related potentials.
Gustatory event related potentials (ERP) were developed more than a decade ago. Although the first studies were highly promising, no clinical routine application has yet been reported. The aim of the study was to use gustatory ERP in a clinical setting and to investigate gender related differences, concentration dependency and their test-retest reliability. The question of whether investigations in patients with documented taste disorders provide meaningful results was addressed. 17 healthy volunteers participated in two sessions. Acetic acid was presented to the left or right portion of the tongue; stimuli were embedded in a constantly flowing air stream. Subjects rated the stimulus intensity using visual analogue scales. Lateralised sour thresholds were established by means of a psychophysical taste test. ERP amplitude P1 was largest at frontocentral recording sites while amplitude P2 had a parietal maximum. Women had shorter response latencies than men. Concentration related differences were found for amplitudes P2 and for latencies P1 and N1. Shorter ERP response latencies were seen for stimulation of the right compared with the left side. Test-retest reliability was highest for the higher stimulus concentration, and highest coefficients of correlation were found for latencies of ERP peaks P1 and N1. Preliminary investigations in a patient with hemiageusia indicated the usefulness of gustatory ERP in the diagnostic process, especially with regard to medicolegal cases. In conclusion, the present work shows that gustatory ERP provide a relatively unbiased, reliable and easy approach to objective assessment of human taste function.
Hummel
Thomas
T
Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Dresden Medical School, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany. thummel@mail.zih.tu-dresden.de
Genow
Alexandra
A
Landis
Basile Nicolas
BN
D000328:Adult; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D011601:Psychophysics; D011930:Reaction Time; D012737:Sex Factors; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult