Gender differences in suprathreshold taste scaling ability in an older population

Taste sensitivity was evaluated by suprathreshold scaling of six concentrations each of sodium chloride, sucrose, citric acid, and quinine hydrochloride. Magnitude estimation was used as the method of scaling. The study group was composed of 22 males and 19 females were either patients (institutionalized) or staff members of the Jewish Institute for Geriatric Care. Data from each patient were used to compute individual slopes and Y-intercepts of the log to log transformations for each solution sequence. The mean age of the persons who were institutionalized was significantly higher than that of the staff members. In addition, the mean age of the females was 10 years older than that of the males. The older adult males seemed to have impaired taste function that resulted in significant decreases in total perceived intensity of several taste solutions. No significant differences were shown in taste ability between the relatively healthy younger staff member subjects and the older, more infirm, institutionalized subjects.