title: A new extension to the Taste Strips test.
abstract: Assessment of gustatory function in human subjects using the 'taste strips' test is an easy and validated procedure. The aim of this study was to extend this test in order to detect subjects with superior gustatory sensitivity.
  
  
  
  The investigation included 134 subjects (29.5±12.6 years, range 18-84 years) with normal gustatory function. Four concentrations of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter were augmented with additional low concentrations (sweet: 25/12.5 mg/ml sucrose; sour: 27/15 mg/ml citric acid; salty: 6.4/2.6 mg/ml sodium chloride, bitter: 0.15/0.06 mg/ml quinine hydrochloride), resulting in a maximum extended taste score (ETS) of 24.
  
  
  
  The mean ETS was 14.5 ± 3.2. Specifically, it was 4.5 ± 1.2 for sweet, 2.8 ± 1.0 for sour, 4.0 ± 1.3 for salty, and 3.2 ± 1.2 for bitter. In contrast to the original version of the taste strips test, no ceiling effect was observed. Cluster analysis separated three groups of subjects by ETS, whereas test scores derived from the original four concentrations were insufficient to discriminate the subgroup with higher gustatory sensitivity.
  
  
  
  The extended taste strips test seems to be a useful tool for the detection of patients with low gustatory thresholds for sweet, sour, salty, or bitter taste.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 26, 8036 Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Wien, Austria.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Illini
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Wien, Austria.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uy
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Krankenhausstr. 9, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Bertold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Renner
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Wien, Austria.
authors.forename: Christian A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mueller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013649:Taste; D055697:Taste Perception; D055815:Young Adult