title: Barium versus nonbarium stimuli: differences in taste intensity, chemesthesis, and swallowing behavior in healthy adult women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors examined the impact of barium on the perceived taste intensity of 7 different liquid tastant stimuli and the modulatory effect that these differences in perceived taste intensity have on swallowing behaviors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 80 healthy women, stratified by age group (<40; >60) and genetic taste status (supertasters; nontasters). Perceived taste intensity and chemesthetic properties (fizziness; burning-stinging) were rated for 7 tastant solutions (each prepared with and without barium) using the general Labeled Magnitude Scale. Tongue-palate pressures and submental surface electromyography (sEMG) were simultaneously measured during swallowing of these same randomized liquids. Path analysis differentiated the effects of stimulus, genetic taste status, age, barium condition, taste intensity, and an effortful saliva swallow strength covariate on swallowing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Barium stimuli were rated as having reduced taste intensity compared with nonbarium stimuli. Barium also dampened fizziness but did not influence burning-stinging sensation. The amplitudes of tongue-palate pressure or submental sEMG did not differ when swallowing barium versus nonbarium stimuli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite impacting taste intensity, the addition of barium to liquid stimuli does not appear to alter behavioral parameters of swallowing. Barium solutions can be considered to elicit behaviors that are similar to those used with nonbarium liquids outside the assessment situation.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Catriona M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: Cathy A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Pelletier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001464:Barium / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003679:Deglutition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014059:Tongue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001464:Barium