Psyhophysical and psyhophysiological investigation of the taste sensory system
Main researcher
: BUJAS, ZORAN (6043) Assistants
VODANOVIĆ, MARIJAN (164460)
Type of research: basic Duration from: 01/01/91. to 01/01/94. Papers on project (total): 0
Institution name: Hrvatska akademija znanosti i umjetnosti, Zagreb (101) Department/Institute: Laboratory for Investigation of the Structure and Function of Sense Organs Address: Zrinjski trg 11 City: 10000 - Zagreb, Croatia
Communication
Phone: 385 (041) 449 093
Fax: 385 (041) 449 378
Summary: The problems studied were: The validity of various taste
scaling procedures; the time course of gustatory adaptation and recovery;
cross-adaptation, cross-enhancement and recruitment; peripheral and central
processes in gustatory adaptation; the mechanism of electric taste. The
principal results were: simple sensorimotor reaction time proved to be a
reliable indicator of the reactivity level of the gustatory system and of
the perceived taste magnitude; the degree of adaptation to NaCl was a
linear function of the logarithm of the adapting concentration, and the
rate of recovery a negatively accelerated function of recovery time; the
rate of recovery from adaptation to NaCl for different parameters of the
functional level of the gustatory system was unequal; the investigation of
effects of cross-adaptation for sucrose, NaCl, HCl, and QHCl evaluated by
reaction time resulted in cross-enhancement for sucrose as the test or
adapting solution, and cross-adaptation for all other taste combinations;
the psychophysical function obtained after partial adaptation to NaCl
suggested the existence of the recruitment phenomenon; the degree of
adaptation to substances of equal objective intensity but different
perceived magnitude depended more on the perceived magnitude indicating
that central processes take part in gustatory adaptation; following the
application of Synsepalum dulcificum the anodal sourness is less suppressed
relative to the sourness of acids, and the sweetening slight indicating
that the mechanisms of electric taste and chemical stimulation differ; the
suprathreshold magnitude of electric taste is only slightly affected by the
composition of the contact solution thereby casting doubt on the
iontophoretic hypothesis of electric taste.
Keywords: magnitude estimation, reaction time, psychophysical taste functions, gustatory adaptation, taste mixtures, cross-adaptation and enhancement, taste recruitement, recovery after adaptation, electric taste
Research goals: The aim of the investigations within the project was
to obtain some new insight in the functioning of the gustatory system,
primarily concerning the coding mechanism of the taste stimulus intensity
and qualities. In addition the objective was to test the validity of simple
sensorimotor reaction time as an indicator of the reactivity level of the
gustatory system. The obtained data gave insight into: (a) the time course
of gustatory adaptation and recovery; (b) the share of central and
peripheral processes in gustatory adaptation; (c) the coding mechanism of
taste qualities as indicated by data on cross-adaptation; (d) the mechanism
of electric taste. Furthermore, the obtained data suggested that simple
sensorimotor reaction time could be used as a reliable indicator of the
reactivity level of the gustatory system. In addition to other criteria it
can be useful in the assessment of the functioning of the taste sensory
system. Pieron's reaction speeds, derived from reaction times, can be used
as indicators of the perceived taste magnitude.
COOPERATION - INSTITUTIONS
Name of institution
: Odsjek za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet
Sveučilišta u Zagrebu Type of institution: Economical/Production City: 10000 - Zagreb, Croatia Other information about the project.