title: Neural processing of basic tastes in healthy young and older adults - an fMRI study.
abstract: Ageing affects taste perception as shown in psychophysical studies, however, underlying structural and functional mechanisms of these changes are still largely unknown. To investigate the neurobiology of age-related differences associated with processing of basic tastes, we measured brain activation (i.e. fMRI-BOLD activity) during tasting of four increasing concentrations of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter tastes in young (average 23 years of age) and older (average 65 years of age) adults. The current study highlighted age-related differences in taste perception at the different higher order brain areas of the taste pathway. We found that the taste information delivered to the brain in young and older adults was not different, as illustrated by the absence of age effects in NTS and VPM activity. Our results indicate that multisensory integration changes with age; older adults showed less brain activation to integrate both taste and somatosensory information. Furthermore, older adults directed less attention to the taste stimulus; therefore attention had to be reallocated by the older individuals in order to perceive the tastes. In addition, we considered that the observed age-related differences in brain activation between taste concentrations in the amygdala reflect its involvement in processing both concentration and pleasantness of taste. Finally, we state the importance of homeostatic mechanisms in understanding the taste quality specificity in age related differences in taste perception.
authors.affiliation: Top Institute Food and Nutrition, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands; Neuroimaging Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, 9713 AW Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: h.r.hoogeveen@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Heleen R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Hoogeveen
authors.affiliation: Top Institute Food and Nutrition, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands; Neuroimaging Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, 9713 AW Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jelle R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Dalenberg
authors.affiliation: Top Institute Food and Nutrition, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands; Neuroimaging Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, 9713 AW Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Remco J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Renken
authors.affiliation: Top Institute Food and Nutrition, P.O. Box 557, 6700 AN Wageningen, The Netherlands; Neuroimaging Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, 9713 AW Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gert J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: ter Horst
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Center Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 2, 9713 AW Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Monicque M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Lorist
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Age; Perception; Sensation; Taste concentration; Taste processing; Taste quality; fMRI