Categories
· Health/Science
· Military
non-USA, by Country
· Greece
|
BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders 2009, 9:9doi:10.1186/1472-6815-9-9
Jump to full article: BioMed Central (uk), 2009-08-20
Author: Pavlos Pavlidis , Vasilios Nikolaidis , Antonia Anogeianaki , Dimitrios Koutsonikolas , Georgios Kekes and George Anogi
Intro: Background
Nicotine has been recognized as capable of inducing changes in taste functionality in conditions of chronic exposure.The objective of this study was the evaluation of taste acuity in smokers and non-smokers and the differences concerning the shape, density and vascularisation of the fungiform papillae (fPap) of their tongue.
Methods
Sixty-two male subjects who served in the Greek Military Forces participated in the study and were randomized chosen. Thirty-four of them were non-smokers and 28 were smokers. All of the smokers used to hold the cigarette on the centre of their lips. Taste thresholds of the participants were measured with Electrogustometry (EGM). The morphology and the density of their fungiform papillae (fPap) on the tongue's tip were examined with Contact Endoscopy (CE).
. . .
Conclusion
The majority of smokers showed elevated taste thresholds in comparison to non-smokers. Smoking is an important factor which can lead to decreased taste acuity. The combination of methods, such as EGM and CE, can provide useful information about the vascularisation of taste buds and their functional ability.
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