Liu David T, Besser Gerold, Oeller Florian, Mueller Christian A, Renner Bertold
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2020 Aug;129(8):813-820. doi: 10.1177/0003489420906187. Epub 2020 Feb 6.
Tests for gustatory function have become increasingly important in diagnosis and treatment of patients with taste disorders. While caffeine and quinine hydrochloride solutions have been used for global testing of bitter perception, only quinine has been used to test regional bitter perception by means of taste strips. The aim of the present study was to validate caffeine impregnated taste strips as an alternative to quinine taste strips for assessment of regional bitter perception.
A total of 46 healthy volunteers (mean age/range, 23/19-27 years) were included in this study. Quinine and caffeine impregnated taste strips were pairwise presented at different parts of the tongue. Perceived intensity and hedonic dislike were evaluated using labeled magnitude scales. Additionally, gustatory function was assessed using the taste strips test and overall sense of taste was rated using visual analog scales.
Assessment of gustatory function demonstrated scores within the normogeusic range in most included subjects (mean/SD, 13.1/2.5). Notably, equally concentrated quinine and caffeine impregnated taste strips placed on different regions of the tongue did not lead to significant differences in perceived intensity or hedonic dislike, whereas quinine and caffeine impregnated taste strips of different concentrations placed on the same region on the tongue led to significant differences of perceived intensity and hedonic dislike. Furthermore, no correlation was found between self-assessment of gustatory function and taste strips scores.
Caffeine seems to be a valid bitter compound for regional testing using taste strips and may be used alternatively to quinine.
味觉功能测试在味觉障碍患者的诊断和治疗中变得越来越重要。虽然咖啡因和盐酸奎宁溶液已用于苦味感知的整体测试，但仅奎宁被用于通过味觉条测试局部苦味感知。本研究的目的是验证浸渍咖啡因的味觉条作为奎宁味觉条的替代品用于评估局部苦味感知的有效性。
本研究共纳入46名健康志愿者（平均年龄/范围，23/19 - 27岁）。奎宁和浸渍咖啡因的味觉条在舌头的不同部位成对呈现。使用标记量值量表评估感知强度和享乐厌恶。此外，使用味觉条测试评估味觉功能，并使用视觉模拟量表对整体味觉进行评分。
大多数纳入受试者的味觉功能评估显示分数在正常味觉范围内（平均/标准差，13.1/2.5）。值得注意的是，放置在舌头不同区域的等浓度奎宁和浸渍咖啡因的味觉条在感知强度或享乐厌恶方面没有导致显著差异，而放置在舌头同一区域的不同浓度的奎宁和浸渍咖啡因的味觉条在感知强度和享乐厌恶方面导致了显著差异。此外，在味觉功能的自我评估和味觉条分数之间未发现相关性。
咖啡因似乎是一种用于味觉条局部测试的有效苦味化合物，可替代奎宁使用。
