PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Taste Disorders”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Confocal microscopy of the peripheral gustatory system: comparison between healthy subjects and patients suffering from taste disorders during radiochemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: Laser-scanning microscopy (LSM) was used to compare taste buds and epithelia of fungiform papillae of healthy subjects with those of patients suffering from taste disorders during/after radiochemotherapy (RCT). Aim of the study was to investigate effects responsible for taste loss at a microscopic level. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. METHODS: Data from 12 healthy subjects (mean age 52.4, SD 9.5 years) were compared with those of 12 patients (mean age 54.7, SD 8.5 years) with head and neck cancer suffering from taste disorders during RCT. Four parameters from LSM were selected for analysis: 1) distance between the pore of the taste buds of fungiform papillae and the crest of the papillary vessels; 2) epithelial cells of each taste bud at 34 mum; 3), cell density, and 4) area of the taste pore at 4 mum. These data were correlated to measures of gustatory sensitivity obtained with both the validated "taste strips" test kit and electrogustometry. RESULTS: Patients complaining from taste disorders during RCT exhibited a significant decrease of taste function assessed with both natural and electric stimuli. In these patients, we found thicker epithelia and smaller areas of the taste pores compared with healthy subjects. In 30% of those patients, no taste pores were detectable; in deeper sections, however, normal taste buds were present. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, in RCT patients with taste disorders, LSM indicates changes of epithelia of fungiform papilla but no changes of the taste bud structure. Damage of the chorda tympani nerve by scattered rays, direct or indirect mucotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents, and covering of taste pores by epithelial cells are likely reasons for taste loss during RCT.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Smell and taste disorders.

Disorders of taste and smell can present a challenge to the facial plastic surgeon. Obtaining a detailed history and examination is the key to the diagnosis and work-up of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. Easy-to-administer tests are available for olfactory evaluation(University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test) and gustatory (taste sticks, tasting tablets) evaluation. The prognosis and management of olfactory and gustatory disease depend on its etiology. Despite ongoing research, the treatment of the disorders of smell and taste is limited.

Chemoreceptor Cells↗
PubMed2005

Taste disorders: a survey of the examination methods and treatments used in Japan.

CONCLUSIONS: In Japan, the number of patients seeking treatment for taste disorders from otolaryngologists is approximately 240 000/year, and this number has almost doubled in the last 13 years. Taste examinations are routinely conducted in almost all university hospitals; testing is not as common in private clinics. Administration of zinc is the main treatment for taste disorders in Japan. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the number of patients who visited otolaryngologists for treatment of taste disorders between 2000 and 2002. In addition to determining changes in the number of patients that had occurred in the 13 years since the last study in 1990, the survey also sought to find out what types of taste examination were used to diagnose taste disorders in Japan and what therapies were used to treat them. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to 1559 members of the Japan Society of Stomato-pharyngology. RESULTS: The average number of patients with taste disorders who visited otolaryngological clinics between 2000 and 2002 was 244 858/year. This number is 1.77-fold greater than the number of patients reported by the last study in 1990 (138 575). Electrogustometry was used in 99% of university hospitals and in 20% of private clinics. The filter-paper disk method was also used in 57% of university hospitals and in 27% of private clinics. The main treatment was zinc administration. Most doctors (70%) prescribed polaprezinc, a zinc-containing drug that is used to treat peptic ulcers. Of these doctors, 78% stated that it effectively treated taste disorders and 11% that it did not.

Carnosine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Drug-induced taste disorders: analysis of the French Pharmacovigilance Database and literature review].

Taste disorders, generally poorly studied, have various causes. From 1985 to 1997, 305 observations of taste disorders imputed to drugs were notified to Regional Pharmacovigilance Centres. Patients were on average 54.4 years old and 58 per cent were women. Quantitative as well as qualitative disorders have been observed. Drugs mainly found were: angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, terbinafine, zopiclone, D-penicillamine, imidazole derivatives, quinolones, macrolides, carbimazole and calcium channel blockers. The outcome was favourable for 60.3 per cent of patients. The possible efficacy of zinc is discussed. It is generally considered that taste disorders are not a serious side-effect, but they can reduce the quality of life and lead to poor compliance with treatment.

Databases as Topic↗
PubMed2005

Statistical approach to drug-induced taste disorders based on zinc chelating ability.

Various drug-induced taste disorders have been ascribed to zinc deficiency in serum. Assuming that the zinc deficiency is caused by the chelating reaction of zinc ions with drugs, the electrode potential of the Zn(2+)/Zn(Hg) system was measured in the presence of drugs in water, ethanol, and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). The zinc-chelating ability was estimated based on the potential change Delta E(2) with the addition of a drug. A large potential change suggesting potent chelating ability was observed in penicillamine, furosemide, and ibuprofen in ethanol and in fluorouracil, acetazolamide, and bezafibrate in DMF. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the observed Delta E(2) in mV to represent chelating ability. The regression equation to estimate the frequency of taste disorders was deduced from Delta E(2), and frequency of four drugs appeared in package inserts and interview forms. According to the regression equation, the frequency of taste disorders was successfully estimated for 14 drugs examined in this study. The result was examined in a clinical case.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Taste disorders and associated factors in type 1 diabetes].

In order to study taste in type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent), 57 consecutive diabetic patients (mean duration of diabetes +/- SEM = 11.4 +/- 0.4 years) and 38 control subjects underwent electrogustometry and chemical gustometry. The diabetic and control group were comparable with the exception of the ponderal index which was significantly higher in diabetics (p less than 0.05). A deterioration in taste appreciation was confirmed in the diabetic group compared to the control group on electrogustometry (mean threshold: 184.3 +/- 15.8 vs 58.7 +/- 9.2 mu A; p less than 0.001) and chemical gustometry (mean score: 13.2 +/- 0.7 vs 17.1 +/- 0.8; p less than 0.001). Electrical hypogueusia was found in 73% of the diabetics compared to 16% of controls (p less than 0.001). The 4 primary tastes were involved in the deterioration. Multivariate analysis associated the taste disorder with the diabetic status of the subjects, their alcohol and tobacco consumption. In the diabetic group the deterioration in taste was associated with the complications and duration of diabetes. On multivariate analysis peripheral neuropathy had the strongest association with taste disorders. These results suggest that deterioration in taste occurs during the progression of type 1 diabetes and that the taste disorder could be a degenerative complication of the disease. A neuropathic type mechanism could be involved.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Secretory function of the salivary gland in patients with taste disorders--correlations between zinc deficiency and secretory functions of the salivary glands].

Not a few patients with taste disorders complain of xerostomia as another subjective symptom. When zinc is subscribed, the xerostomia is often reduced in conjunction with the taste disorders. In this study, therefore, a trial was made to detect xerostomia objectively by determining the function of salivary glandular secretion, and then relationship between zinc deficiency and the xerostomia was examined. Ninety three patients who complained of hypogeusia and/or xerostomia, 27 males and 66 females ranging from 39 to 87 years of age, were subjected to dynamic salivary scintigraphy using 99mTc-pertechnetate. Control data were obtained from 60 patients with unilateral acute peripheral facial palsy. The conclusions obtained were as follows: 1. The normal range of the salivary glandular secretory ratio (S.G.S.R.) was determined from the dynamic salivary scintigraphy using 99mTc-pertechnetate. 2. The xerostomia appeared to be detectable by the above method. 3. Dysfunctional salivary glandular secretion seemed to be associated with abnormal morphology of the papillae of the tongue. 4. No significant relation was found between the severity of taste disorders and the values of S.G.S.R. 5. In terms of the mean value, low values of S.G.S.R. were observed to coincide with zinc deficiency. 6. From the results of zinc treatment, we demonstrated correlations between taste disorders and xerostomia, both of which are among the symptoms of zinc deficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Assessment of taste disorders in rats by simultaneous study of the two-bottle preference test and abnormal ingestive behavior.

Taste disorders were produced in rats by the administration of a zinc-deficient diet and assessed by two methods, i.e., observations of the subjects' behavior in terms of the two-bottle preference test and of their ingestive behavior in terms of taste differentiation. The findings of the two tests were compared, revealing a high degree of agreement. The results indicate that reliable data can be obtained from the two-bottle preference test, an examination procedure extensively applied to the study of taste disorders, as well as from observation of the rats' ingestive behavior. Thus, both methods can be used in parallel for assessing or confirming taste disorders in rats.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

[Clinical investigation using a self-rating depression scale in subjects with psychosomatic taste disorders].

In recent years, the number of patients with psychologenesis taste disorders has increased. In this study, related psychological factors were examined in 258 patients (85 men, 173 women) using a self-rating depression scale (SDS). The results were as follows: 1) 189 patients reported normal psychological factors, 2) 173 patients reported neurotic sates, and 3) 40 patients reported positive correlations with a depressive sates, Most of the patients, self-reported results were not correlated with taste function tests. On the other hand, the patients with depression had reduced salivary secretion tests results. Only 50% of the patients with depression recovered their taste functions. These results suggest that the SDS test may be useful for diagnosing taste disorders and monitoring effects of treatment.

Depression↗
PubMed1990

Dietary evaluation of patients with smell and/or taste disorders.

The impact of smell and taste disorders on dietary habits and nutritional status has received limited research attention. This paper reports findings obtained from questionnaires and diet records completed by 40 healthy subjects and 118 patients with chemosensory dysfunction. Chemosensory disorders were frequently associated with decreases in food acceptability. Although dietary responses to these dysfunctions varied greatly, patients with distorted or phantom smell and/or taste sensations tended to report weight loss whereas those with simple sensory loss were more likely to report weight gain. Indices derived from diet records did not indicate that either group of patients was at substantial nutritional risk, but food frequency responses and estimates of body mass index were consistent with patient reports of changes in dietary patterns and weight. In addition, marked weight change and aberrant dietary practices were noted in individual patients. Thus, there were indications that chemosensory dysfunction may be associated with nutritionally important dietary alterations.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Taste disorders].

PURPOSE: This review focuses on the present state of the question about taste disorders with reference to their associated factors, diagnostic methods, and potential effects. CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND KEY POINTS: Taste disorders may be induced by many drugs and are associated to a number of acute or chronic diseases. Patients may be asked about their taste complaints, and taste thresholds may be determined by electrogustometry or chemical gustometry. Taste impairment may provide a good indicator to the course of some diseases such as diabetes mellitus in which hypogeusia predicts occurrence of degenerative complications. Dysgeusia may induce nutritional disorders and contribute to wasting in chronic liver disease, cancer, or human immunodeficiency virus infected patients. Mechanisms involved in dysgeusia are more than one in a patient. Taste disturbance may be secondary to a variety of causes that include zinc deficiency, lesions of the lingual epithelium, neurological impairment, and a pharmacological effect. FUTURE PROSPECTS AND PROJECTS: A better understanding of the transduction mechanisms of the gustatory signal and the main pathogenic factors involved in dysgeusia may possibly improve the follow-up of the concerned patients notably in terms of nutritional status.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

A double-blind study of the therapeutic efficacy of zinc gluconate on taste disorder.

The therapeutic efficacy of orally given zinc gluconate on taste disorder was investigated by a double-blind study in 98 patients with a chief complaint of this disease. The subjects were divided into two 49-patient groups and were orally given zinc gluconate or the placebo for up to 4 months. Improvement of taste examination and subjective symptoms was analyzed in 65 of the subjects. Although no significant difference was detected between the two groups in overall efficacy, a significant superiority of zinc gluconate to placebo was observed in patients with idiopathic and zinc-deficient taste disorder. Comparison of the improvement by Ridit analysis showed a significant therapeutic superiority of zinc gluconate. In contrast, comparison of the degree of subjective symptomatic changes.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2001

Long-term follow-up results of electrogustometry and subjective taste disorder after middle ear surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The present study compares the long-term follow-up results of electrogustometry with patient reports of taste dysfunction after middle ear surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of 371 patients who underwent middle ear surgery. METHODS: Patients were divided into the following groups depending on the degree of manipulation or surgical damage to the chorda tympani nerves: the no-touch group (group 1 [n = 109]); the touch group (group 2 [n = 149]); and the severed nerve group (group 3 [n = 113]). Electrogustometry was periodically performed over the course of several years. RESULTS: The incidences of postoperative subjective taste disorder in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 2.8%, 25.5%, and 38.9%, respectively. Although the subjective taste disorder usually recovered within 1 to 2 years after surgery in all groups, it persisted for more than 2 years in 2.7% of the touch group and 5.3% of the severed nerve group. Concerning postoperative electrogustometric results, in the no-touch group, 8.3% of patients showed threshold elevation on electrogustometry, but the elevated thresholds completely recovered in all cases. In the touch group, 45% of patients exhibited elevated electrogustometric thresholds on their first postoperative test, including 32.9% who subsequently had complete electrogustometric recovery, 10.1% who subsequently had incomplete recovery, and 2% who failed to recover during the follow-up period. In the severed nerve group, none of the patients was responsive to the electrical stimulus on the first postoperative test, including 8.8% of patients who subsequently exhibited complete electrogustometric recovery, 32.7% who later had incomplete electrogustometric recovery, and 58.4% who never recovered any electrogustometric responsiveness. Nerve repair in the severed nerve group produced better recovery, as measured electrically. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of postoperative subjective taste disorder was low, although inconsistent with the high incidence of threshold elevation on electrogustometry, especially in the severed nerve group. Preservation or repair of the chorda tympani nerve is recommended in order to maintain or recover gustatory function.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Taste disorders in chromium exposed workers].

Taste thresholds were investigated by means of chemical and electric stimulation in order to prove the induction of taste disturbances by chrome dust. There were examined 46 persons with exposition by potassium bichromate, chromic acid and zinc chromate, 19 of them working under conditions of a lower chrome exposition level but 27 of them working under conditions of a higher chrome exposition level. We could find a increasing threshold in taste qualities "sweet", "poor", "salty" and "bitter" corresponding to an increase of chrome exposition on the one hand and likewise of electric stimuli on the other hand. The quantity of chrome exposition must be regarded more important than its quality and its duration. Finally we want to recommend the appliance of always as electrogustometry as chemogustometry for occupational taste investigations because both the methods seem to differ somewhat.

Ageusia↗
PubMed2005

Measurements of several metallic elements and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in saliva from patients with taste disorder.

We have measured and compared several metallic elements and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in saliva from patients with taste disorder and healthy subjects. Stimulated whole saliva was collected from 20 patients and 35 healthy subjects. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for the determination of metallic elements in saliva. Amounts of MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-9 and IL-1alpha, IL-6 in saliva were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay systems. Zinc in the serum was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Our results provide evidence that levels of zinc, manganese and the amount of MMP-3 in saliva are significantly decreased in the patients with taste disorder compared to the healthy subjects; Zn (p.p.b.): healthy subjects 79.8 +/- 42.6, patients 47.22 +/- 17.1, (P < 0.001), Mn (p.p.b.): healthy subjects 4.48 +/- 2.46, patients 2.78 +/- 1.23, (P < 0.004), MMP-3 (ng/ml), healthy subjects 0.820 +/- 0.417, patients 0.594 +/- 0.179 (P < 0.01). In contrast, copper is significantly increased in the patients; Cu (p.p.b.): healthy subjects 34.5 +/- 13.5, patients 45.9 +/- 20.8 (P < 0.049). These differences may be closely related with this disease. ICP-MS is an easy and accurate instrument for measurements of salivary metallic elements and may be useful in establishing a diagnosis of taste disorder.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Neurological causes of taste disorders.

In caring for patients with taste disorders, the clinical assessment should include complete examination of the cranial nerves and, in particular, gustatory testing. Neurophysiological methods such as blink reflex and masseter reflex allow the testing of trigeminofacial and trigeminotrigeminal pathways. Modern imaging methods (MRI and computed tomography) enable the delineation of the neuroanatomical structures which are involved in taste and their relation to the bony skull base. From a neurological point of view, gustatory disorders can result from damage at any location of the neural gustatory pathway from the taste buds via the peripheral (facial, glossopharyngeal and vagal nerve) and central nervous system (brainstem, thalamus) to its representation within the cerebral cortex. Etiopathogenetically, a large number of causes has to be considered, e.g. drugs and physical agents, cerebrovascular disorders including dissection of the carotid artery and pontine/thalamic lesions, space-occupying processes - in particular tumors compressing the cerebellopontine angle and the jugular foramen of the skull base - head trauma and skull base fractures, isolated cranial mononeuropathy (e.g. Bell's palsy) or polyneuropathy, epilepsy, dementia, multiple sclerosis and major depression. In addition to this, aging can also lead to diminished taste perception. Due to the broad differential diagnostic considerations, it is essential to look for additional, even mild, neurological signs and symptoms. Treatment must relate to the underlying cause. Zinc may be tried in idiopathic dysgeusia.

Aging↗
PubMed2000

Smell and taste disorders: a primary care approach.

Smell and taste disorders are common in the general population, with loss of smell occurring more frequently. Although these disorders can have a substantial impact on quality of life and may represent significant underlying disease, they are often overlooked by the medical community. Patients may have difficulty recognizing smell versus taste dysfunction and frequently confuse the concepts of "flavor" and "taste." While the most common causes of smell disturbance are nasal and sinus disease, upper respiratory infection and head trauma, frequent causes of taste disturbance include oral infections, oral appliances (e.g., dentures), dental procedures and Bell's palsy. Medications can interfere with smell and taste, and should be reviewed in all patients with reported dysfunction. In addition, advancing age has been associated with a natural impairment of smell and taste ability. A focused history and a physical examination of the nose and mouth are usually sufficient to screen for underlying pathology. Computed tomographic scanning or magnetic resonance imaging of affected areas, as well as commercially available standardized tests, may be useful in selected patients. The causes of olfactory dysfunction that are most amenable to treatment include obstructing polyps or other masses (treated by excision) and inflammation (treated with steroids). Enhancement of food flavor and appearance can improve quality of life in patients with irreversible dysfunction.

Age Factors↗