Korean J Otorhinolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2014 Oct;57(10):692-697. 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2014.57.10.692.

Differences in Taste Thresholds According to Sex and Age Groups in Korean

• Lee JW
• Son HJ
• Shin SH
• Rhyu MR
• Kim JY
• Ye MK

• KMID: 2277822
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3342/kjorl-hns.2014.57.10.692

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of the study was to compare the gustatory function between age-matched men and women in Korean subjects.
SUBJECTS AND METHOD
Healthy non-smoking volunteers without smell and taste disorders were investigated. Thirty-nine men and women of the same age group were evaluated for gustatory function. Whole mouth taste test was performed with successive solutions of sucrose, sodium chloride, citric acid, and quinine hydrochloride. The electrical taste thresholds were measured using an electrogustometer for four different sites in the oral cavity, i.e., both sides of anterior and posterior tongue.
RESULTS
Female subjects had lower mean values of detection and recognition thresholds for all of the four tastes than male subjects, although these results did not reach statistical significance except for the detection threshold for salt and the recognition threshold for quinine. In electrogustometry, thresholds in the posterior tongue of glossopharyngeal nerve area were significantly higher for men than women.
CONCLUSION
Men had higher taste threshold than women of the same age category. For additional information on the effects of gender and aging on taste thresholds, further studies including a large number of well-controlled subjects are essential.

Keyword

Aging; Sex; Taste; Taste threshold

MeSH Terms

Aging
Citric Acid
Female
Glossopharyngeal Nerve
Humans
Male
Mouth
Quinine
Smell
Sodium Chloride
Sucrose
Taste Disorders
Taste Threshold*
Tongue
Volunteers
Citric Acid
Quinine
Sodium Chloride
Sucrose