[The chemical senses of smell and taste in the course of life - changes of smell and taste perception]

Abstract

Based on own experiments and on the results of other laboratories changes of olfactory and gustatory perception throughout the life span are discussed. Similar to other modalities gustatory and olfactory thresholds generally rise while age increases. Certain gustatory substances (amino acids), however, show a decrease of thresholds if 70 years old subjects are compared with 20 years old ones. Preference for certain odorants (strawberry, vanillin) are reported to increase in higher age (after initial higher peaks in young age).