Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Naina Bhatia-Dey, Antonei B. Csoka, Thomas Heinbockel
Summary: Throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic, the association of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction with viral infection has drawn much attention. The loss of our sense of smell and taste has become a reliable indicator of COVID-19 infection. Olfactory and gustatory disturbances persist in the post-infection phase, especially in cases with long-term effects. Additionally, age-related decline in these sensory modalities has been observed in the study of neurodegenerative conditions. Genetic factors, evolutionary forces, and epigenetic alterations play a complex role in regulating gustation and olfaction.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Ha Nguyen, Javier Albayay, Richard Hochenberger, Surabhi Bhutani, Sanne Boesveldt, Niko A. Busch, Ilja Croijmans, Keiland W. Cooper, Jasper H. B. de Groot, Michael C. Farruggia, Alexander W. Fjaeldstad, John E. Hayes, Thomas Hummel, Paule Joseph, Tatiana K. Laktionova, Thierry Thomas-Danguin, Maria G. Veldhuizen, Vera V. Voznessenskaya, Valentina Parma, M. Yanina Pepino, Kathrin Ohla
Summary: People often confuse smell loss with taste loss. Our study aimed to investigate the extent of taste loss in patients who self-report taste loss. Through an online survey and chemosensory tests, we found that COVID-19-positive individuals reported a significant reduction in taste, smell, and oral irritation intensity compared to individuals without respiratory illness. This suggests that assessing the intensity of household items may be a promising screening tool for taste dysfunction.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Ha Nguyen, Javier Albayay, Richard Hochenberger, Surabhi Bhutani, Sanne Boesveldt, Niko A. Busch, Ilja Croijmans, Keiland W. Cooper, Jasper H. B. de Groot, Michael C. Farruggia, Alexander W. Fjaeldstad, John E. Hayes, Thomas Hummel, Paule Joseph, Tatiana K. Laktionova, Thierry Thomas-Danguin, Maria G. Veldhuizen, Vera V. Voznessenskaya, Valentina Parma, M. Yanina Pepino, Kathrin Ohla
Summary: Our study found that individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 reported reduced taste, smell, and oral irritation compared to those without symptoms. Taste was reduced by 21%, smell by 47%, and oral irritation by 17% in the COVID+ group. There were medium to strong correlations between perceived intensities and self-assessed abilities.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Denise M. Ferkey, Piali Sengupta, Noelle D. L'Etoile
Summary: Chemosensory neurons in C. elegans play a crucial role in responding to chemical cues, such as odorants, tastants, and pheromones. Studies have shown that the sensory mechanisms in C. elegans share remarkable homology with those in other organisms, and the development of new tools and technologies can provide further insights into the animal's detection and discrimination of chemical cues with a limited sensory neuron repertoire.
Article
Otorhinolaryngology
Christopher R. Roxbury, Isaac A. Bernstein, Sandra Y. Lin, Nicholas R. Rowan
Summary: This population-level study suggests an association between poor diet quality and variation in dietary intake in patients with CSD, which warrants further investigation and suggests the possible need for nutritional counseling for CSD patients.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RHINOLOGY & ALLERGY
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Maria Jimena Ricatti, Silvia Savazzi, Paola Cesari, Maria Paola Cecchini
Summary: In the past 130 years, numerous studies have assessed olfaction and gustation in blind individuals. These studies exhibit significant variability in terms of sample size, participants' age, blindness onset, and methods for evaluating smell and taste. Cultural differences are also found to influence the evaluation of olfactory and gustatory performance.
NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Seung Yong Park, Kyung Soo Kim, Hyun Jin Min
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between subjective and objective gustatory dysfunction among older adults. The results showed that subjective recognition of gustatory dysfunction does not correlate with objective diagnosis, but it is correlated with subjective olfactory dysfunction. Age and sex were significantly associated with measured gustatory function outcomes.
Article
Otorhinolaryngology
Min-Seok Rha, Hyung-Ju Cho, Joo-Heon Yoon, Seok Jun Moon, Chang-Hoon Kim
Summary: This study found that GD is significantly associated with OD, especially in patients with PTOD. Age ≥55 years and PTOD are factors associated with a higher frequency of GD among patients with OD.
Review
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Suslow, Anette Kersting
Summary: Alexithymia is associated with deficits in perceiving negative emotions in music and a reduced perception of aversive taste, while the impact on olfaction and touch remains inconclusive. Future research should focus on multimodal assessment and control of negative affect to better understand emotion perception deficits in alexithymia.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Adam B. Schroer, Kayla W. Branyan, Joshua D. Gross, Paul D. Chantler, Adam J. Kimple, Aurelie Vandenbeuch, David P. Siderovski
Summary: Studies have shown that the lack of RGS21 in mice reduces their response to tastants mediated by GPCRs, contrary to the in vitro activity of RGS21 as a GAP and inhibitor of T2R signaling. This reduction in tastant-mediated responses is not due to post-ingestive effects, but rather the inactivation of RGS21 in lingual epithelial cells leading to a decreased ability to perceive flavors.
Article
Ecology
Jibin Johny, Souleymane Diallo, Ondrej Luksan, Mayuri Shewale, Blanka Kalinova, Robert Hanus, Ewald Grosse-Wilde
Summary: This study identified chemosensory genes in three termite species and revealed a large repertoire of odorant receptors, gustatory receptors, ionotropic receptors, odorant binding proteins, chemosensory proteins, and sensory neuron membrane proteins. The evolutionary analysis showed expansions of termite chemosensory genes with conserved olfactory functions. These findings contribute to our understanding of eusocial behavior and the evolution of olfactory communication in termites.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Charles Spence
Summary: Various personality traits are linked to different aspects of taste, trigeminal, and olfactory perception, as well as taste perception, food preferences, and food behavior. These connections are influenced by neurotransmitter and hormone levels and can be bidirectional.
CURRENT RESEARCH IN FOOD SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Sashie Abeywickrema, Rachel Ginieis, Indrawati Oey, Mei Peng
Summary: Individual sensitivities to sweet-associated stimuli were negatively correlated with the intake of congruent snacks and positively correlated with incongruent snacks. These differences were mainly reflected in energy intake, not consumption weight.
Review
Ecology
Dane C. Elmquist, Sanford D. Eigenbrode
Summary: Chemical signaling in the soil plays a crucial role in behavioral interactions among organisms. Studying chemical communication in the soil requires a different approach compared to aboveground ecosystems, as olfaction and gustation may not accurately represent chemical communication in the soil. Soil properties such as moisture, pH, and adsorption affect the transport and perception of chemical signals, making it important to avoid anthropomorphism and consider soil heterogeneity. This perspective explores the confounding factors between olfaction and gustation and discusses the influence of anthropomorphic biases on soil chemical ecology, with a focus on soil arthropods. Future research directions and the need for a unified view of chemosensation applicable to all environments are also discussed.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Raul Alfaro, Jessica G. Nicanor-Carreon, Tasha Doty, Heather Lugar, Tamara Hershey, Marta Yanina Pepino
Summary: Wolfram syndrome is associated with impairment in smell identification and taste function, but odor-induced taste enhancement is preserved in the presence of reduced olfactory intensity.