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. 2013 Mar 12;80(11 Suppl 3):S20-4.
doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182872e38.

Gustation assessment using the NIH Toolbox

Susan E Coldwell  1 , Julie A Mennella, Valerie B Duffy, Marcia L Pelchat, James W Griffith, Gregory Smutzer, Beverly J Cowart, Paul A S Breslin, Linda M Bartoshuk, Lloyd Hastings, David Victorson, Howard J Hoffman
Affiliations

Gustation assessment using the NIH Toolbox

Susan E Coldwell et al. Neurology. .

Abstract

The NIH Toolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function (NIH Toolbox) is a set of brief measures for the assessment of cognitive function, emotional health, motor function, and sensory function for use in clinical trials and in epidemiologic and longitudinal studies. Gustatory perception is assessed as 1 of 6 areas of sensory function. A team of 11 scientists with expertise in taste perception selected 2 gustatory measures, 1 of which can be used in young pediatric populations. The measure selected for young pediatric populations assesses sucrose (sweet) taste preference and can also be used across the age span of 5 to 85 years. For adult populations, the selected measure is a regional test, which assesses variability in perceived intensity of quinine hydrochloride (bitter) when applied to the tongue tip as well as perceived with the whole mouth. The team also recommends the regional test for assessing other tastants, such as sodium chloride (salty). Validation studies have demonstrated that the measures modified for the NIH Toolbox correlate with more traditional assessments, and can identify known population differences in gustation.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Regional application of tastant to the anterior tongue
In the Regional Test, the examiner gently applies taste solution to the anterior tongue by moving a cotton swab soaked in taste solution in a slow continuous motion along the front of the tongue. For NIH Toolbox norming, direction of application was always from the left side of the tongue across the tip and finishing on the right side of the tongue. It is also acceptable to reverse the direction of application, moving in a slow continuous motion from the right side, across the tip to the left side.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Sucrose preference test
In the sucrose preference test, sucrose solutions are placed on the table in the order they are to be tasted. The first solution to be tasted is placed above the number 1 whereas the second solution tasted is placed above the number 2. The subject tasted both solutions (top panel) and then pointed to the one she preferred (bottom panel).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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