Gustatory testing for clinicians

Abstract

Gustatory testing for clinicians. By contrast with the evaluation of olfactory function, which has been standardised for almost two decades, the clinical assessment of gustatory function with psychophysical and objective testing is still in its infancy. This overview will attempt to summarise the knowledge that is important for clinicians in the awareness that progress in the field is ongoing. We focus on psychophysical testing but also discuss some recent achievements in the area of objective taste testing. There are now validated tests available for simple quick scans of gustatory function but debate continues about the extent to which such tests can be used for medico-legal purposes. In addition to emerging measures such as gustatory event-related potentials and functional imaging, routine objective gustatory testing will be needed in the future.