title: Cross-cultural validation of a taste test with paper strips.
abstract: Taste dysfunctions influence food choices, interpersonal communication and danger/health. A gustometry protocol is the mainstream for clinical taste disorders diagnosis and suggests possible therapeutics. No clinical gustometry protocol has been adapted and validated to the Portuguese population so far. We aim to validate a gustometry protocol based on strips made from filter paper impregnated with different taste solutions. Four concentrations each for sweet, sour, salty and bitter were administered to 75 subjects. Hypogeusia threshold is of 4.8 in this population. Repeated measures indicated a good reliability and validity for the taste strips (ρ 75 = 0.68, p < 0.001). Although Mediterranean food implies a heathy eating pattern, taste threshold scores may be lower because of its habituation to natural food flavoring. The taste strip gustometry protocol can be applied to the clinical practice in Portugal. It is quick, effective and cheap. The diagnostic utility of this method is indisputable, as well as the advantages we can obtain with its application, for early diagnosis and distinction between disorders of taste and smell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Coimbra University Hospital, Coimbra, Portugal. jcarlosribeiro@uc.pt.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. jcarlosribeiro@uc.pt.|Faculty of Medicine, Centre of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, IBILI, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. jcarlosribeiro@uc.pt.
authors.forename: João Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Coimbra University Hospital, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Lisete
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lemos
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Eduardo D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Coimbra University Hospital, Coimbra, Portugal.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paiva
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hummel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010209:Paper; D011174:Portugal; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013652:Taste Threshold; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Clinical test; Diet; Taste; Taste strips