A joint research group of Toho University School of Medicine and Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine has developed a rehabilitation method for the sense of taste. .
The taste rehabilitation method devised by this group consists of the following four steps.First, in step 4, the cognitive thresholds for the four basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, and bitter) are measured from five levels of concentration by a taste test using the filter paper disc method.In step 1, remember the concentration that is one higher than the cognitive threshold and compare it with the taste of the cognitive threshold.In step 4, remember the taste that is one level higher than the cognitive threshold, and compare it with the taste that is one level lower than the cognitive threshold.In step 5, the taste of the cognitive threshold is memorized and compared with the taste of the concentration one level lower than the cognitive threshold.
In a study of 42 healthy subjects, they were randomly divided into a rehabilitation group of 21 people who performed this series of cycles and a non-rehabilitation group of 21 people who did not. In addition, it was confirmed that the sensitivity of the sense of taste increased (becomes able to recognize tastes with lower concentrations) for all four basic tastes.The taste rehabilitation method showed efficacy over time, with no significant difference in the initial taste perception threshold between the two groups, but at day 4, the rehab group was significantly more sensitive to taste than the non-rehab group. was improving.
In recent years, the number of patients with taste disorders has been increasing with aging, and there have been reports of patients with residual taste disorders after COVID-19 infection.Currently, there is no clear treatment for taste disorders, and there is concern that the number of patients suffering from taste disorders will increase. In this study, it was found that taste rehabilitation may improve taste disorders. rice field.
In the future, it is expected that a taste rehabilitation method will be established as one of the new therapeutic methods for patients with taste disorders.
Paper information:[Scientific Reports] Improving taste sensitivity in healthy adults using taste recall training: a randomized controlled trial
