Genetic Taster Status as a Mediator of Neural Activity and Swallowing Mechanics in Healthy Adults
As part of a larger study examining relationships between taste properties and swallowing, we assessed the influence of genetic taster status (GTS) on measures of brain activity and swallowing physiology during taste stimulation in healthy men and women. Twenty-one participants underwent videofluoro...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2019.01328/full |
| _version_ | 1819158162269274112 |
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| author | Angela M. Dietsch Angela M. Dietsch Ross M. Westemeyer William G. Pearson Douglas H. Schultz |
| author_facet | Angela M. Dietsch Angela M. Dietsch Ross M. Westemeyer William G. Pearson Douglas H. Schultz |
| author_sort | Angela M. Dietsch |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As part of a larger study examining relationships between taste properties and swallowing, we assessed the influence of genetic taster status (GTS) on measures of brain activity and swallowing physiology during taste stimulation in healthy men and women. Twenty-one participants underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during trials of high-intensity taste stimuli. The precisely formulated mixtures included sour, sweet-sour, lemon, and orange taste profiles and unflavored controls. Swallowing physiology was characterized via computational analysis of swallowing mechanics plus other kinematic and temporal measures, all extracted from VFSS recordings. Whole-brain analysis of fMRI data assessed blood oxygen responses to neural activity associated with taste stimulation. Swallowing morphometry, kinematics, temporal measures, and neuroimaging analysis revealed differential responses by GTS. Supertasters exhibited increased amplitude of most pharyngeal movements, and decreased activity in the primary somatosensory cortex compared to nontasters and midtasters. These preliminary findings suggest baseline differences in swallowing physiology and the associated neural underpinnings associated with GTS. Given the potential implications for dysphagia risk and recovery patterns, GTS should be included as a relevant variable in future research regarding swallowing function and dysfunction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T16:20:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-37c9c79f08ee43028c3946f73acc6370 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T16:20:16Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-37c9c79f08ee43028c3946f73acc63702022-12-21T18:20:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2019-12-011310.3389/fnins.2019.01328488670Genetic Taster Status as a Mediator of Neural Activity and Swallowing Mechanics in Healthy AdultsAngela M. Dietsch0Angela M. Dietsch1Ross M. Westemeyer2William G. Pearson3Douglas H. Schultz4Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United StatesCenter for Brain, Biology and Behavior, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United StatesDepartment of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United StatesDepartment of Cellular Biology & Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United StatesCenter for Brain, Biology and Behavior, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United StatesAs part of a larger study examining relationships between taste properties and swallowing, we assessed the influence of genetic taster status (GTS) on measures of brain activity and swallowing physiology during taste stimulation in healthy men and women. Twenty-one participants underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during trials of high-intensity taste stimuli. The precisely formulated mixtures included sour, sweet-sour, lemon, and orange taste profiles and unflavored controls. Swallowing physiology was characterized via computational analysis of swallowing mechanics plus other kinematic and temporal measures, all extracted from VFSS recordings. Whole-brain analysis of fMRI data assessed blood oxygen responses to neural activity associated with taste stimulation. Swallowing morphometry, kinematics, temporal measures, and neuroimaging analysis revealed differential responses by GTS. Supertasters exhibited increased amplitude of most pharyngeal movements, and decreased activity in the primary somatosensory cortex compared to nontasters and midtasters. These preliminary findings suggest baseline differences in swallowing physiology and the associated neural underpinnings associated with GTS. Given the potential implications for dysphagia risk and recovery patterns, GTS should be included as a relevant variable in future research regarding swallowing function and dysfunction.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2019.01328/fullswallowingsensorimotor integrationtastesensory perceptionphysiologymorphometry |
| spellingShingle | Angela M. Dietsch Angela M. Dietsch Ross M. Westemeyer William G. Pearson Douglas H. Schultz Genetic Taster Status as a Mediator of Neural Activity and Swallowing Mechanics in Healthy Adults Frontiers in Neuroscience swallowing sensorimotor integration taste sensory perception physiology morphometry |
| title | Genetic Taster Status as a Mediator of Neural Activity and Swallowing Mechanics in Healthy Adults |
| title_full | Genetic Taster Status as a Mediator of Neural Activity and Swallowing Mechanics in Healthy Adults |
| title_fullStr | Genetic Taster Status as a Mediator of Neural Activity and Swallowing Mechanics in Healthy Adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genetic Taster Status as a Mediator of Neural Activity and Swallowing Mechanics in Healthy Adults |
| title_short | Genetic Taster Status as a Mediator of Neural Activity and Swallowing Mechanics in Healthy Adults |
| title_sort | genetic taster status as a mediator of neural activity and swallowing mechanics in healthy adults |
| topic | swallowing sensorimotor integration taste sensory perception physiology morphometry |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2019.01328/full |
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