Nuclear bilateral Bell's palsy and ageusia associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pulmonary infection.
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This case report describes a case of nuclear bilateral Bell's palsy and ageusia associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Magnetic resonance imaging evidenced T2-weighted hyper-intense protuberantial lesions. Such topography leading to a nuclear palsy contrasts with previously reported infectious diplegia involving only peripheral facial nerves, and has not yet been described in the spectrum of M. pneumoniae post-infectious neurological manifestations. (+info)
Transient hemiageusia in cerebrovascular lateral pontine lesions.
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Knowledge of human central taste pathways is largely based on textbook (anatomical dissections) and animal (electrophysiology in vivo) data. It is only recently that further functional insight into human central gustatory pathways has been achieved. Magnetic resonance imaging studies, especially selective imaging of vascular, tumoral, or inflammatory lesions in humans has made this possible. However, some questions remain, particularly regarding the exact crossing site of human gustatory afferences. We present a patient with a pontine stroke after a vertebral artery thrombosis. The patient had infarctions in areas supplied by the anterior inferior cerebellar artery and showed vertical diplopia, right sided deafness, right facial palsy, and transient hemiageusia. A review of the sparse literature of central taste disorders and food preference changes after strokes with a focus on hemiageusia cases is provided. This case offers new evidence suggesting that the central gustatory pathway in humans runs ipsilaterally within the pons and crosses at a higher, probably midbrain level. In patients with central lesions, little attention has been given to taste disorders. They may often go unnoticed by the physician and/or the patient. Central lesions involving taste pathways seem to generate perceptions of quantitative taste disorders (hemiageusia or hypogeusia), in contrast to peripheral gustatory lesions that are hardly recognised as quantitative but sometimes as qualitative (dysgeusia) taste disorders by patients. (+info)
Construction of a taste-blind medaka fish and quantitative assay of its preference-aversion behavior.
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A randomized phase III prospective trial of bethanechol to prevent mucositis, candidiasis, and taste loss in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy: a secondary analysis.
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The aim of this study was to determine the impact of bethanechol administration concomitant to radiotherapy (RT) on oral mucositis, candidiasis and taste loss. We performed a secondary analysis of a previously conducted prospective randomized trial which evaluated the effect of bethanechol on salivary gland dysfunction before, during, and after RT for head and neck cancer (HNC), in comparison to artificial saliva. Mucositis, candidiasis and taste loss were analyzed in 36 patients. Mucositis was scored using the World Health Organization (WHO) method; candidiasis was diagnosed by means of clinical examination, whereas taste loss was assessed by the patients' subjective report of absence of taste. No significant differences were observed between groups in relation to frequency and severity of mucositis or frequency of candidiasis and taste loss. In conclusion, bethanechol does not appear to reduce the incidence of mucositis, candidiasis, and taste loss when administered during RT. (+info)
Application of umami taste stimulation to remedy hypogeusia based on reflex salivation.
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Enjoying taste should be one of the greatest pleasures in human life. However, aging is sometimes associated with decreased taste sensitivity, also known as hypogeusia. The loss of taste not only affects quality of life, but can also cause weight loss and health problems in the elderly. Our recent study has shown that 37% of test subjects over 65 years of age exhibited hypogeusia. Further, whole saliva secretion, including minor salivary secretion, was significantly decreased in elderly patients with gustatory impairment, but was normal in all elderly subjects with normal taste thresholds. These data indicate that hyposalivation is closely related to hypogeusia. Moreover, clinical studies have shown that treatment of hyposalivation diminishes hypogeusia, indicating that salivation is essential to maintain normal taste function. However, many medications for relief of dry mouth, such as parasympathomimetic (cholinomimetic) drugs, have serious adverse effects. Palpitation, sweating, nausea, diarrhea and dizziness have all been observed in elderly patients taking parasympathomimetic drugs. To circumvent this problem, glutamate, which produces umami taste, was demonstrated to increase salivary secretion and thereby improve hypogeusia by enhancing the gustatory-salivary reflex. Our data suggests that umami is an effective tool for the relief of hypogeusia without the side effects of parasympathomimetic drugs. (+info)
Depletion of bitter taste transduction leads to massive spermatid loss in transgenic mice.
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Evaluation of taste acuity by the filter-paper disc in Japanese young women: the relationship with micronutrients status.
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The aim of the present study is to investigate the taste acuity in Japanese young women in relation to their micronutrient status. Thirty-eight healthy young women (mean age; 21.3, range; 19-27 years) were enrolled. Gustatory thresholds were estimated for four basic tastes: sweet (sucrose), salty (sodium chloride), sour (tartaric acid), and bitter (quinine hydrochloride) by a filter-paper disk method. Various concentrations at each taste were serially scored from disc number 1 (lowest) to number 5 (highest). The lowest concentration at which the quality of the taste was correctly identified was defined as the recognition threshold. The mean of three measurements for each test on three different days was calculated. We divided our participants into normal taste and hypogeusia groups based on the mean threshold disc numbers, <=3.5 and >3.5, respectively, according to previous literature using the same method. We also measured serum concentrations and dietary intakes of micronutrients including zinc, iron, copper, and selenium. The numbers of participants belonging to the hypogeusia group were 24 (63.2%) for sweet, 19 (50.0%) for sour, 17 (44.7%) for bitter, and 16 (42.1%) for salty taste. Although the hypogeusia group exhibited significantly lower serum iron concentrations, except for the salty taste, the other three micronutrients concentrations did not show any association with the four taste acuities. Dietary micronutrient intake did not show any association with the four taste acuities. This study indicates that in addition to zinc status, iron status should be considered in the study of taste acuity. (+info)