Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Stevens, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by Cain, W. S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Stevens, J. C.
Right arrow Articles by Cain, W. S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Chemical Senses 9: 167-179,
© 1984

research-article

Chemical senses and aging: taste versus smell

Joseph C. Stevens, Linda M. Bartoshuk and William S. Cain

John B.Pierce Foundation Laboratory and Yale University New Haven, CT 06519, USA

Earlier studies have suggested that aging may adversely affect the sense of smell more than the sense of taste. Although both sense modalities lose some absolute (threshold) sensitivity, agerelated losses of suprathreshold magnitude seem to occur commonly in the sense of smell, less commonly in the sense of taste. This apparent difference between taste and smell was put to direct test in the same subjects in the same test session. Young (20–25 years) and two groups of elderly people (65–78 and 80–95 years) estimated the taste intensity of various concentrations of NaCl and the odor intensity of various levels of iso-amyl butyrate, under instruction to make magnitude estimations of both kinds of stimuli on a common scale. Relative to the taste estimates, the old gave lower odor estimates than the young. Also, the 80–95 year group showed, on average, a greater odor deficit than the 65–78 year group. This outcome supports the main hypothesis that as age increases smell deficits present a more serious problem than do taste deficits.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
S. Yamamoto, M. Tomoe, K. Toyama, M. Kawai, and H. Uneyama
Can dietary supplementation of monosodium glutamate improve the health of the elderly?
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2009; 90(3): 844S - 849S.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 JCOHome page
S. Steinbach, T. Hummel, C. Bohner, S. Berktold, W. Hundt, M. Kriner, P. Heinrich, H. Sommer, C. Hanusch, A. Prechtl, et al.
Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Taste and Smell Changes in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer or Gynecologic Malignancies
J. Clin. Oncol., April 10, 2009; 27(11): 1899 - 1905.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GerontologyHome page
R. I. Henkin
Taste and Appetite Loss in the Aged
Gerontology, July 1, 2008; 13(1): 20 - 32.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Chem SensesHome page
S. Kremer, J. H.F. Bult, J. Mojet, and J. H.A. Kroeze
Food Perception with Age and Its Relationship to Pleasantness
Chem Senses, July 1, 2007; 32(6): 591 - 602.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Chem SensesHome page
J. Mojet, J. Heidema, and E. Christ-Hazelhof
Taste Perception with Age: Generic or Specific Losses in Supra-threshold Intensities of Five Taste Qualities?
Chem Senses, June 1, 2003; 28(5): 397 - 413.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical SciencesHome page
M.-M. G. Wilson
Guest Editorial: Bitter-Sweet Memories: Truth and Fiction
J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., April 1, 2001; 56(4): 196M - 199.
[Full Text]

Home page
 Chem SensesHome page
L. M. Bartoshuk
Comparing Sensory Experiences Across Individuals: Recent Psychophysical Advances Illuminate Genetic Variation in Taste Perception
Chem Senses, August 1, 2000; 25(4): 447 - 460.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Chem SensesHome page
H. Kaneda, K. Maeshima, N. Goto, T. Kobayakawa, S. Ayabe-Kanamura, and S. Saito
Decline in Taste and Odor Discrimination Abilities with Age, and Relationship between Gustation and Olfaction
Chem Senses, June 1, 2000; 25(3): 331 - 337.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.