Abstract
A fully programmable and portable automated regional taste-testing system is described. This system utilizes a glass stimulator held to the surface of the tongue by a mild vacuum. Temporally and spatially discrete trains of stimuli, delivered from a bank of glass reservoirs through microprocessor-controlled Teflon solenoid valves and both glass and Tygon tubing, can be delivered to the lingual surface at millisecond durations. Rinses between stimuli are similarly programmed. The stimulus delivery is monitored at the surface of the tongue, using a capacitance sensor to alert the subject of stimulus delivery. An example of the application of this system is shown, in which we demonstrate that the detection threshold for NaCl is inversely related to stimulus duration by a power function.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Bagla, R., Klasky, B., &Doty, R. L. (1997). Influence of stimulus duration on a regional measure of NaCl taste sensitivity.Chemical Senses,22, 171–175.
Bartoshuk, L. M. (1989). Taste: Robust across the age span?Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,561, 65–75.
Bartoshuk, L. M., Desnoyers, S., O’Brien, M., Gent, J. F., &Catalanotto, F. C. (1985). Taste stimulation of localized tongue areas: The Q-tip test.Chemical Senses,10, 453.
Deems, D. A., Doty, R. L., Settle, R. G., Moore-Gillon, V., Shaman, P., Mester, A. F., Kimmelman, C. P., Brightman, V. J., &Snow, J. B. (1991). Smell and taste disorders, a study of 750 patients from the University of Pennsylvania Smell and Taste Center.Archives of Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery,117, 508–528.
Frank, M. D., &Smith, D. V. (1991). Electrogustometry: A simple way to test taste. In T. V. Getchell, R. L. Doty, L. M. Bartoshuk, & J. B. Snow, Jr. (Eds.),Smell and taste in health and disease (pp. 503–514). New York: Raven.
Halpern, B. R. P. (1985). What to control in studies of taste. In H. Meiselman & R. Rivlin (Eds.),Clinical measurement of taste and smell (pp. 201–262). New York: Macmillan.
Henkin, R. I., &Christiansen, R. L. (1966). Taste localization on the tongue, palate and pharynx of normal man.Journal of Applied Physiology,22, 316–320.
Kelling, S. T., &Halpern, B. P. (1983). Taste flashes: Reaction times, intensity, and quality.Science,219, 412–414.
Kelling, S. T., &Halpern, B. P. (1986). The physical characteristics of open flow and closed flow taste delivery apparatus.Chemical Senses,11, 89–103.
Kelling, S. T., &Halpern, B. P. (1987). Taste judgements and gustatory stimulus duration: Simple taste reaction times.Chemical Senses,12, 543–562.
Kelling, S. T., &Halpern, B. P. (1988). Taste judgements and gustatory stimulus duration: Taste quality, taste intensity, and reaction time.Chemical Senses,13, 559–586.
Krarup, B. (1958). Electro-gustometry: A method for clinical taste examinations.Acta Otolaryngologica,49, 294–305.
Kroger, H., Doty, R. L., &Hoffman, K. (1997). Development of a regional taste sensitivity test using isointense and isoviscid stimuli.Chemical Senses,22, 725–726.
Lester, B., &Halpern, B. P. (1979). Effect of stimulus presentation duration on gustatory reaction time.Physiology & Behavior,22, 319–324.
Levitt, H. (1970). Transformed up-down methods in psychophysics.Journal of the Acoustical Society of America,49, 467–477.
Matsuda, T., &Doty, R. L. (1995). Regional taste sensitivity to NaCl: Relationship to subject age, tongue locus, and area of stimulation.Chemical Senses,20, 283–290.
Meiselman, H. L., Bose, H., &Nykvist, W. (1972). Effect of flow rate on taste intensity responses in humans.Physiology & Behavior,9, 35–38.
Meiselman, H. L., &Halpern, B. P. (1973). Enhancement of taste intensity through pulsatile stimulation.Physiology & Behavior,11, 713–716.
Mott, A. E., &Leopold, D. A. (1991). Disorders in taste and smell.Medical Clinics of North America,75, 1321–1353.
Salada, J. A., Raj, J. M., &Doty, R. L. (1991). Differential sensitivity of tongue areas and palate to electrical stimulation: A suprathreshold cross-modal matching study.Chemical Senses,16, 483–489.
Taverner, D. (1955). Bell’s palsy: A clinical and electromyographic study.Brain,78, 209–228.
Tomita, H., Ikeda, M., &Okuda, Y. (1986). Basis and practice of clinical taste examinations.Auris, Nasus, Larynx,13 (Suppl. I), S1-S15.
Zuniga, J. R., Davis, S. H., Englehardt, R. A., Miller, I. J., Jr.,Schiffman, S. S., &Phillips, C. (1993). Taste performance on the anterior human tongue varies with fungiform taste bud density.Chemical Senses,18, 449–460.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This research was supported by Grant NIDCD PO1 000161 from the National Institutes of Health. We thank C. Nelson Dorny, James Graham, William Irby, Toshi Matsuda, and Steven Wyzykiewicz for their technical assistance.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hebhardt, P., Bagla, R. & Doty, R.L. An automated regional taste-testing system. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 31, 464–469 (1999). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03200727
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03200727