• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.585-592
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• 2012

Food is crucial for the nutrition and survival of humans. Taste system is one of the fundamental senses. Taste cells detect and respond to five basic taste modalities (sweet, bitter, salty, sour, and umami). However, the cortical processing of taste sensation is much less understood. Recently, there were many efforts to observe the brain activation in response to taste stimulation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and optical imaging. These different techniques do not provide directly comparable data each other, but the complementary investigations with those techniques allowed the description and understanding of the sequence of events with the dynamics of the spatiotemporal pattern of activation in the brain in response to taste stimulation. The purpose of this study is the understanding of the brain activities to taste stimuli in sensory and affective aspects and the reviewing of the recent research of the gustotopic map by functional brain mapping.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.253-260
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• 2001

이 연구의 목적은 월경주기에 따른 동통역치와 미각역치의 변화를 평가하고자 하는 것이다. 안면부에 동통성 질환이 없고 정상 월경 주기를 가진 건강한 20대 여성 11명이 이 연구에 참여하였다. 2회의 연속적인 월경주기 동안, 월경기(menstrual phase), 여포기(follicular phase), 황체기(luteal phase)의 세 시기에서 압력통각역치, 전기미각역치, NaCl 미각역치를 각각 측정하였다. 각 역치를 월경주기의 시기별로 비교 분석하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 압력통각역치와 전기미각역치는 월경주기의 시기에 따라 유의한 차이를 나타내었고, 황체기에서 월경기에서와 비교하여 통계적으로 유의하게 높은 역치를 나타내었다. NaCl 미각역치는 월경주기에서 통계적으로 유의한 변화를 나타내지 않았다.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.183-192
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• 2010

The aim of this study is to determine a relationship between the smoking and the gustation. For that purpose, the survey is about the subjective taste change after smoking compared the electrical taste thresholds by EGM on healthy young Korean men before and after smoking. The results of the electrogustometry showed significant differences between smokers and non-smokers, also between before smoking and directly after smoking in smokers showed significant differences which indicated the immediate, but temporary effects of smoking on the taste thresholds. There were no difference of gustatory function by the amount of smoking and the degree of addiction. Based on the results of this study, further studies will be focused on the difference of gustatory function between before and after smoking using the chemical taste test, and the relationship between change of olfactory and gustation by smoking.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.177-185
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• 2007

Iatrogenic injury following dental treatments and the use of local anesthetics may cause taste disorders. The aims of this study were to investigate quantitative and qualitative changes of taste due to unilateral inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia and further to evaluate potential effects on taste function related to anesthesia or hypoesthesia of inferior alveolar nerve, possibly occurring after dental procedure. 30 healthy volunteers in their twenties participated in this study (male to female = 1:1, mean age of $24.0{\pm}1.8$ years). Each subject received inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia on his or her right side with 2% lidocaine HCl containing 1:100,000 epinephrine. Before and after anesthesia, electrogustometric test and chemical localized test for salty, sweet, sour and bitter tastes were performed on the eight sites in the oral cavity; right and left anterior and lateral tongue and circumvallate papilla of the tongue and soft palate. Unilateral inferior alveolar nerve anesthesia produced elevation of electrical taste threshold and reduction of intensity ratings for all 4 tastes (salty, sweet, sour and bitter) over anterior and lateral tongue and circumvallate papilla on the ipsilateral side (p<0.05). Contralateral sides exhibited decreased intensity ratings for salty and sweet taste (p<0.05) on anterior and lateral tongue while there was no significant difference in electrogustometric testing. Based on the results of this study, it is assumed that unilateral local anesthesia on inferior alveolar nerve can affect chorda tympani and glossopharyngeal nerves on the same side, leading to taste deficits. Taste intensity on the contralateral side may, in part, be deteriorated as well.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.133-145
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the taste sensitivity in patients with oral mucosal diseases(Oral lichen planus(OLP), Recurrent apthous ulcer(RAU)) using electrogustometer. One hundred and seventy three subjects were included for the study and they were categorized into 2 groups(control 100, patient 73) and patient group was investigated in the Department of Oral Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital from April, 2005 until January, 2007. Control group was investigated in the clinics at Inchen Metroplitan city and Cheongju city from February to August, 2006. The electrical taste thresholds were measured by using an electrogustometer for the 4 different sites(tongue tip, tongue lateral, circumvallate papilla and soft palate) in oral cavity. The results were as follows ; 1. The electrical taste threshold in patient group was significantly decreased than that in the control group(p<0.001). 2. The electrical taste threshold, in terms of the chronicity and lesion multiplicity, was not significantly changed in patient group. 3. The electrical taste threshold was not significantly changed in Dexan only and Dexan+Prs combination treated group. 4. The electrical taste threshold, in terms of treatment progress(no response vs half response vs complete response), was not significantly changed. However subjective index which was determined by NAS(Numerical Analogy Scale) was significantly increased in no response group but significantly decreased in complete response group(p<0.001)

• Proceedings of the Korean Nutrition Society Conference
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• 1997.05b
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• pp.37-37
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• 1997

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.383-396
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to measure the suprathreshold taste intensity for NaCl, sucrose, citric acid, and quinine HCl in elderly Korean women using a whole-mouth, sip-and-spit procedure, employing the method of magnitude matching. The results were analysed in terms of aging, menopause, and salivary flow rate. 31 elderly women (mean age; $50.8{\pm}5.1$ years) and 30 young women (mean age; $25.1{\pm}1.71$ years) were included for the study. Subjects were instructed to give nonmodulus magnitude estimates to the intensities of five concentrations each of sucrose, NaCl, citric acid, and quinine HCl; distilled water; 6 loudness level of a 1,000-Hz tone, using the same 9-point intensity scale. Each of the 21 taste stimuli and 6 auditory stimuli are presented in random order twice. The auditory function is used to assess the absolute intensity function of the subject's taste system. The results were as follows; 1. Comparing to young women, elderly women showed decreased taste intensities for lower concentration solutions of NaCl and sucrose. However, other solutions didn't show any difference in taste intensities between young and elderly women. 2. There were not significant difference in perceived taste intensities for NaCl, sucrose, citric acid, and quinine HCl between menopause and pre-menopause women in elderly women group. 3. There were not significant difference in perceived taste intensities for NaCl, sucrose, and quinine HCl between low salivation women and high salivation women in elderly women group. 4. The low salivation women in elderly group showed higher taste intensity for low concentration citric acid than high salivation women.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1541-1552
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the structure and secretory function of the von Ebner's gland in parasympathetic or sympathetic nerve innervation. Sprague Dawley rats were sacrificed 3, 7, 10, 14, and 21 days after bilateral glossopharyngeal or hypoglossal nerve axotomy, respectively. The circumvallate papilla portion of the tongue was dissected and we observed morphological changes in the von Ebner's gland. The properties of glycoconjugate in the von Ebner's gland were investigated using nine biotinylated lectins (PSA, UEA I, GSL I $B_4$, ECL, DBA, SBA, HPA, SJA, or sWGA). Compared with the control group, cytoplasmic vacuoles appeared in the serous acini of the von Ebner's gland in the 3-day group, and the serous acini were significantly vacuolized and degenerated in the 10-day group after glossopharyngeal nerve axotomy. However, the structure of the von Ebner's gland did not change after hypoglossal nerve axotomy. In the control group, the von Ebner's glands secreted glycoconjugates containing ${\alpha}$-D-galactose, N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine oligomer, and the amount of the secretion decreased significantly in the 10-day group after glossopharyngeal nerve axotomy. However, the amount of the glycoconjugate secretion did not change after hypoglossal nerve axotomy. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that the glossopharyngeal nerve containing parasympathetic nerve fibers is important for maintaining the structure of and secretory function in the von Ebner's gland in rats.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.341-351
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• 2009

There is tremendous variability in the ways patients present with taste problems. Because of complex and multifactorial etiological background, it is not simple to evaluate patients with taste disorders. Accurate assessment of patients' status by prudent, thorough history taking and symptom analysis is the most essential for exact diagnosis of taste disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with taste problems as a primary complaint. Consecutive series of 50 patients (12 males and 38 females, mean age $53.6\;{\pm}\;14.7$ years) were included for the present study. All subjects were requested to complete a comprehensive questionnaire. Clinical evaluation procedures included oral examination, interview, questionnaire analysis, panoramic radiography, blood test and measurement of salivary flow rate. The obtained results were as follows: 1. Among the patients, 36 patients (72%) complained of oral mucosal pain or burning sensation. Of these patients, 18 patients (36%) were diagnosed as burning mouth syndrome. 2. Nineteen patients (38%) complained of subjective oral dryness. The flow rate of unstimulated whole saliva was less than 0.1 mL/min in 14 patients (28%) and 17 (34%) had a stimulated whole salivary flow rate of less than 0.5 mL/min. 3. Among the types of taste disorders, hypogeusia, the most frequently reported, was found in 25 patients (50%), dysgeusia in 18 patients (36%), phantogeusia in 15 patients (30%), hypergeusia in 10 patients (20%), and ageusia in 5 patients (10%). Nineteen patients (38%) reported more than one type of taste disorder and the most frequent combination was dysgeusia + hypogeusia (n=6, 12%). 4. Based on data from the medical and dental histories and examinations, the patients were assigned to 12 probable causal categories. Taste disorders due to oral mucosal diseases and idiopathic taste disorder were the most frequent (n=9; 18%, each), followed by psychogenic taste disorder (n=8; 16%), drug-induced taste disorder (n=7; 14%), and taste disorder due to dry mouth (n=6; 12%). These 5 categories of taste disorder accounted for 78% of all cases in this study.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.149-162
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to measure the suprathreshold taste intensity for sucrose, NaCl, citric acid, and quinine HCl in Korean young people using a whole-mouth, sip-and-spit procedure, employing the method of magnitude matching. The results were analysed in terms of sex, taste preference, and smoker or nonsmoker. One hundred twenty three subjects (61 male and 62 female, mean age of 25.2$\pm$2.1 years) were included for the study. Subjects were instructed to give nonmodulus magnitude estimates to the intensities of five concentrations each of sucrose, NaCl, citric acid, and quinine HCl; distilled water; 6 loudness levels of a 1,000-Hz tone, using the same 9-point intensity scale. Each of the 21 taste stimuli and 6 auditory stimuli are presented in random order twice. The auditory function is used to assess the absolute intensity function of the subject's taste system. The results were as follows; 1. The perceived taste intensity for sucrose, NaCl, citric acid, and quinine HCl increased progressively as the concentrations of taste solutions were increased. Most of the subjects are standing within the zone of mean value $\pm$1standard deviation in their total perceived intensity score, and nobody is outside the limit of mean value - 2standard deviation. 2. There were not significant difference in total perceived intensities for sucrose, NaCl, citric acid, and quinine HCl between males and females. 3. There were not significant difference in total perceived intensities for sucrose, NaCl, citric acid, and quinine HCl according to the difference in taste preference. 4. There were not significant difference in total perceived intensities for sucrose, NaCl, citric acid, and quinine HCl between smokers and non-smokers in males.