Digital Image Quantification of Fungiform Papillae to Assess Decreased Taste Sensation Among Geriatric Patients.

Background: the taste sensation contributes to evaluate the quality of nutrients, distinguishing between safe and hazardous foods, determining food preferences and food intake. Nowadays taste disorders among geriatric age group is a common health problem which may results in undernutrition and impaired the quality of life. Measurement of papillae number or density, therefore, can provide information about taste function of population. Objectives: to estimate taste scores for basic tastes (sweet, sour, salt, bitter and density of fungiform papilla by digital tongue image analysis among geriatric patients. To correlate the density of fungiform papillae with taste scores of basic tastes. Material and Method: 60 elderly individuals of either sex were included for the study, subjective assessment was done for taste perception and later a blue dye which was Food drug administration approved was used to identify the fungiform papillae. The images were taken using a 48-megapixel camera and analyzed on Adobe Photoshop for clarity of images. Results: mean and standard deviation of total score was 11.22±1.9 and mean standard deviation of fungiform papillae density was 13.3±2.01. The density of fungiform papillae was correlated with taste scores of basic tastes and strong positive correlation (r= 0.79) was seen, which was also statistically significant (p<0.001) Conclusion: identification of fungiform papillae and assessing density proved to be a noninvasive tool and this result can be adapted in a positive way by dieticians and medical practitioners for improving the food intake of the elderly and improving their health status for a better tomorrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]