A study on the age dependency of gustatory states: low-frequency spectral component in the resting-state MEG

J Integr Neurosci. 2013 Dec;12(4):427-39. doi: 10.1142/S0219635213500258. Epub 2013 Sep 17.

Abstract

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings were evaluated for 25 healthy female volunteers, in five different gustatory states: normal, sweet, bitter, sour and salty. The study population was divided in two groups according to age: group A (10-19 years old) and group B (20-30 years old). There was a higher count of low frequencies (2 Hz) and a lower count of high frequencies (7 Hz) with increasing age, in all studied states. We compared each state for the frequencies of 2 Hz and 7 Hz between the two groups. Statistically significant differences were found in the normal and sweet states for the frequencies of 2 Hz and 7 Hz and in the salty taste in the frequency of 7 Hz. We also intra-compared the five states in group A and the five states in group B for the 2 Hz and 7 Hz frequencies. The results were not statistically significant. A differentiation in the distribution of the frequencies with increasing age may provide new insights into the age-dependence of taste quality brain centers.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aging / physiology*
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Brain / physiology*
  • Brain Mapping
  • Child
  • Evoked Potentials / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetoencephalography*
  • Male
  • Spectrum Analysis
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Taste / physiology*
  • Young Adult