Verma Krishna, Ramadoss Ramya, Sundar Sandhya, Panneer Selvam Suganya, K Hemashree
Oral Biology, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, IND.
Oral Pathology and Oral Biology, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Aug 17;16(8):e67082. doi: 10.7759/cureus.67082. eCollection 2024 Aug.
Background Taste perception is crucial for dietary choices, nutrition, and overall health. The human tongue, particularly the fungiform papillae, plays a significant role in taste sensation, especially for sweet and umami flavors. Anemia, a common condition characterized by low hemoglobin levels, can affect sensory perception, including taste. Recent research has begun to explore the relationship between fungiform papillae density and taste perception in individuals with anemia. Objective This study aimed to investigate the comparative quantification of fungiform papillae density and its correlation with taste perception in anemic and healthy individuals, with the goal of understanding the underlying mechanisms linking anemia to taste disturbances. Methods A total of 100 adults (50 anemic and 50 healthy controls) aged 18-65 participated in the study. Demographic data, dietary habits, and medical history were collected. Taste perception was assessed using a taste strip test and psychophysical scaling methods, including magnitude estimation and the method of constant stimuli. Fungiform papillae density was quantified using high-resolution images of the tongue. Statistical analyses, including t-tests and correlation analyses, were conducted to compare the groups and explore relationships between hemoglobin levels, papillae density, and taste perception. Results The study found that anemic individuals had a slightly lower mean fungiform papillae density (49 papillae per square centimeter) compared to healthy controls (57 papillae per square centimeter). In the taste strip test, anemic participants showed reduced accuracy in taste perception, particularly for bitter flavors. However, psychophysical scaling results, as measured by magnitude estimation, revealed no statistically significant difference in subjective taste intensity between the anemic and healthy control groups (p=0.8666). Conclusion The study suggests that while anemic individuals may exhibit reduced fungiform papillae density and altered taste perception, particularly for bitter flavors, the overall subjective perception of taste intensity does not significantly differ from that of healthy controls. These findings contribute to the understanding of taste disturbances in anemia and may inform future diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for managing taste disorders in affected individuals.
味觉感知对于饮食选择、营养和整体健康至关重要。人类舌头，尤其是菌状乳头，在味觉感受中起着重要作用，特别是对于甜味和鲜味。贫血是一种以血红蛋白水平低为特征的常见病症，会影响包括味觉在内的感官知觉。最近的研究已开始探索贫血个体中菌状乳头密度与味觉感知之间的关系。
本研究旨在调查贫血个体与健康个体中菌状乳头密度的比较量化及其与味觉感知的相关性，以了解将贫血与味觉障碍联系起来的潜在机制。
共有100名年龄在18至65岁之间的成年人（50名贫血患者和50名健康对照）参与了该研究。收集了人口统计学数据、饮食习惯和病史。使用味觉试纸测试和心理物理学标度方法（包括数量估计和恒定刺激法）评估味觉感知。使用舌头的高分辨率图像对菌状乳头密度进行量化。进行了包括t检验和相关性分析在内的统计分析，以比较各组并探索血红蛋白水平、乳头密度和味觉感知之间的关系。
研究发现，与健康对照（每平方厘米57个乳头）相比，贫血个体的平均菌状乳头密度略低（每平方厘米49个乳头）。在味觉试纸测试中，贫血参与者的味觉感知准确性降低，尤其是对于苦味。然而，通过数量估计测量的心理物理学标度结果显示，贫血组与健康对照组之间在主观味觉强度上没有统计学上的显著差异（p = 0.8666）。
该研究表明，虽然贫血个体可能表现出菌状乳头密度降低和味觉感知改变，尤其是对于苦味，但味觉强度的总体主观感知与健康对照并无显著差异。这些发现有助于理解贫血中的味觉障碍，并可能为未来管理受影响个体味觉障碍的诊断和治疗方法提供信息。
