IADR Abstract Archives
Is the sense of taste impaired in Sjogren’s Syndrome patients?
Objectives: Oral dryness is one of the most common symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) but whether this dryness alters the ability to taste is not very well established. The literature lacks in studies investigating the prevalence and aetiology of taste dysfunction in SS, and therefore the objectives of our study were:
1) To compare the taste function in primary SS (pSS) patients vs healthy volunteers. 2) To establish whether there is an association between the ability to taste and the severity of oral dryness and/or the neurological taste threshold. 3) To investigate whether disease duration is correlated with taste dysfunction. 4) To identify the best indicator for oral dryness in pSS patients and its relation with taste function.
Methods: Case-control study was carried out on 65 pSS patients and 62 sex-matched healthy volunteers. The ability to taste was measured using taste strips test, and the taste threshold was tested by an Electrogustometer. Oral dryness severity was assessed by clinical oral dryness score (CODS), stimulated and unstimulated salivary flow rate (SFR).
Results: Taste dysfunction was six times more prevalent in pSS patients compared with the healthy volunteers. Similarly, the neurological taste threshold was three times higher in the pSS group compared with the healthy volunteers. Taste was not significantly associated with the SFR, but correlated with the neurological impairment of taste (β = -0.5, p = 0). Taste was not significantly compromised by the self-reported disease duration (β = 0.1). CODS correlated with the SFR (p = 0.00), but none of the dry mouth measures correlated significantly with the taste ability.
Conclusions: Taste dysfunction is prevalent in SS patients and may be due to neurological impairment rather than caused by the oral dryness as presumed previously.
1) To compare the taste function in primary SS (pSS) patients vs healthy volunteers. 2) To establish whether there is an association between the ability to taste and the severity of oral dryness and/or the neurological taste threshold. 3) To investigate whether disease duration is correlated with taste dysfunction. 4) To identify the best indicator for oral dryness in pSS patients and its relation with taste function.
Methods: Case-control study was carried out on 65 pSS patients and 62 sex-matched healthy volunteers. The ability to taste was measured using taste strips test, and the taste threshold was tested by an Electrogustometer. Oral dryness severity was assessed by clinical oral dryness score (CODS), stimulated and unstimulated salivary flow rate (SFR).
Results: Taste dysfunction was six times more prevalent in pSS patients compared with the healthy volunteers. Similarly, the neurological taste threshold was three times higher in the pSS group compared with the healthy volunteers. Taste was not significantly associated with the SFR, but correlated with the neurological impairment of taste (β = -0.5, p = 0). Taste was not significantly compromised by the self-reported disease duration (β = 0.1). CODS correlated with the SFR (p = 0.00), but none of the dry mouth measures correlated significantly with the taste ability.
Conclusions: Taste dysfunction is prevalent in SS patients and may be due to neurological impairment rather than caused by the oral dryness as presumed previously.