Influence of the perceived taste intensity of chemesthetic stimuli on swallowing parameters given age and genetic taste differences in healthy adult women

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined whether the perceived taste intensity of liquids with chemesthetic properties influenced lingua-palatal pressures and submental surface electromyography (sEMG) in swallowing, compared with water.

Method: Swallowing was studied in 80 healthy women, stratified by age group and genetic taste status. General Labeled Magnitude Scale ratings of taste intensity were collected for deionized water; carbonated water; 2.7% w/v citric acid; and diluted ethanol. These stimuli were swallowed, with measurement of tongue-palate pressures and submental sEMG. Path analysis differentiated stimulus, genetic taste status, age, and perceived taste intensity effects on swallowing. Signal amplitude during effortful saliva swallowing served as a covariate representing participant strength.

Results: Significant differences (p < .05) in taste intensity were seen across liquids: citric acid > ethanol > carbonated water > water. Supertasters perceived greater taste intensity than did nontasters. Lingua-palatal pressure and sEMG amplitudes were correlated with the strength covariate. Anterior palate pressures and sEMG amplitudes were significantly higher for the citric acid stimulus. Perceived taste intensity was a significant mediator of stimulus differences.

Conclusion: These data provide confirmatory evidence that high-intensity sour stimuli do influence swallowing behaviors. In addition, taste genetics influence the perception of taste intensity for stimuli with chemesthetic properties, which modulates behavioral responses.

Figure 1

General Labeled Magnitude Scale (Bartoshuk et al.).

Figure 2

Relationship between bolus swallowing signal amplitudes and strength, as indexed by effortful saliva swallow signal amplitudes.

Figure 3

Path analysis used in this study to explore the influence of differences in perceived taste intensity for four liquids on swallowing behaviors.

Figure 4

Results of the Path A analysis, showing differences in perceived taste intensity for four liquids as a function of age-group and genetic taste status.

Figure 5

Results of the Path B_i analysis, showing the influence of perceived differences in taste intensity for four liquids on the amplitude of anterior tongue-palate pressures.

Figure 6

Results of the Path B_iii analysis, showing the influence of perceived differences in taste intensity for four liquids on the amplitude of submental sEMG in nontaster and supertaster subgroups.