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Taste function in patients with Parkinson disease

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Abstract

Despite the important role of taste function in nutrition and health, little is known about changes in taste function caused by Parkinson disease (PD). The taste function of 31 PD patients and 29 healthy controls was assessed quantitatively using filter paper taste strip tests (TSTs) impregnated with four basic taste qualities at four different concentrations. The mean TST score was significantly lower in PD patients, as a consequence of taste impairment in the female PD patients (it did not differ significantly in males), which was likely to be attributable to the lower Mini-Mental State Examination score in patients with PD than in controls in women. TST scores in PD patients were not correlated with patient age, duration, or severity of their PD, or olfactory function. The findings of our study suggest that taste dysfunction should be included in the list of nonmotor symptoms of PD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Movement Disorder Center, Neuroscience Research Institute, BK21, College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul, 110-744, Korea

    Han-Joon Kim & Beom S. Jeon

  2. Parkinson Disease Study Group, Clinical Research Institute, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea

    Han-Joon Kim, Beom S. Jeon & Jee-Young Lee

  3. Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Metropolitan Boramae Hospital, Seoul, Korea

    Jee-Young Lee

  4. Department of Neurology and Clinical Research Center, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea

    Yong-Jin Cho, Keun-Sik Hong & Joong-Yang Cho

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  1. Han-Joon Kim
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  2. Beom S. Jeon
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  3. Jee-Young Lee
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  4. Yong-Jin Cho
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  5. Keun-Sik Hong
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  6. Joong-Yang Cho
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Correspondence to Beom S. Jeon.

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Kim, HJ., Jeon, B.S., Lee, JY. et al. Taste function in patients with Parkinson disease. J Neurol 258, 1076–1079 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-010-5884-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-010-5884-x

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