title: The Relationships Between Common Measurements of Taste Function.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are five common, independent measures used to characterize taste function in humans: detection and recognition thresholds (DT and RT), suprathreshold intensity ratings of prototypical tastants, propylthiouracil (PROP) bitterness intensity, and fungiform papillae (FP) number.
  
  
  METHODS
  We employed all five methods to assess taste function of 65 women (21.5 ± 4 years, BMI 22.3 ± 2.8 kg/m2). Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between the different measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The DT and RT were positively correlated for sweet, bitter, sour, and umami (p< 0.05), but not for salt. The DT or RT did not correlate with suprathreshold intensity ratings, except for umami (suprathreshold intensity and RT:r= -0.32,p= 0.009). FP number did not correlate with any measurement of taste function. PROP bitterness intensity ratings did not correlate with any measurement of taste function, except for suprathreshold ratings for saltiness (r= 0.26,p= 0.033).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As most of the individual measures of taste function did not correlate with each other, with exception of the two threshold measures, we conclude that there are multiple perceptual phases of taste, with no single measure able to represent the sense of taste globally.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Sensory Science, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125 Australia.
authors.forename: Jordannah
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Sensory Science, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125 Australia.
authors.forename: Dieuwerke P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Bolhuis
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Sensory Science, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125 Australia.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cicerale
authors.affiliation: Sensory Evaluation Center, College of Agricultural Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA USA.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.affiliation: Centre for Advanced Sensory Science, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125 Australia.
authors.forename: Russell
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Keast
keywords: Fungiform papillae; PROP; Suprathreshold; Taste function; Threshold