Gustatory Sensory Perception: a Review

Indexación: ScieloLos órganos de los sentidos confieren a los seres humanos la capacidad de percibir y responder a una gran gama de estímulos que provienen del entorno, lo cual nos brinda la facultad de elaborar respuestas con el fin de adaptarnos a los cambios medioambientales, cubrir nuestras necesidades básicas y sobrevivir. Para nutrirnos, el sentido del gusto posee un rol primordial que nos permite seleccionar dentro de una amplia variedad de alimentos, las sustancias que son necesarias para nuestro metabolismo, protegiéndonos a su vez de compuestos potencialmente nocivos, debido a su toxicidad o grado de descomposición. Este sentido también es capaz de brindarnos la capacidad de seleccionar y discriminar alimentos que nos permitan sentir agrado y placer. Para los dentistas es fundamental comprender adecuadamente los complejos procesos del sentido del Gusto, identificar las estructuras involucradas tanto a nivel periférico (papilas, receptores y vías nerviosas) como a nivel central (núcleos y cortezas cerebrales); además de conocer las modalidades básicas del gusto y sus respectivos mecanismos de transducción. Este conocimiento aportará los elementos necesarios para enfrentar de manera correcta una situación en la cual un paciente presente una alteración gustativa, siendo capaz de identificar las posibles causas y adoptar medidas adecuadas para resolverla y/o tolerarla en el caso de ser provocada en forma transitoria por un procedimiento que forme parte o no de nuestro tratamiento. PALABRAS CLAVE: gusto, corpúsculos gustativos, percepción gustativa, alteraciones gustativas. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ABSTRACT: The sense organs give to humans the ability to perceive and respond to a wide range of stimuli from the environment. This allows us the power to shape responses in order to adapt to environmental changes, control our basic needs and survive. The sense of taste has a key role in nurture. Enable us to select from a wide variety of foods, elements that are necessary for metabolism and also protecting from potentially harmful compounds, as of its toxicity or degree of decomposition. This sense of taste is also capable of giving us the ability to select and discriminate food that allow us to feel enjoy and pleasure. For dentists is critical to understand adequately the complex processes of taste, identify the structures involved peripheral (papillae, nerve pathways and receptors) and central (nuclei and cerebral cortices), besides knowing the basic modalities of taste and their respective transduction mechanisms. This knowledge will provide the basis to address properly a situation in which a patient has an altered taste, being able to identify possible causes and take appropriate action to resolve it and / or tolerate if temporary caused by a procedure that may be part of our dental treatment. KEY WORDS: taste, taste buds, taste perception, taste disorders

Sensopercepción olfatoria: una revisión

The five senses have had a fundamental importance for survival and socialization of human beings. From an evolutionary point of view the sense of smell is the oldest. This sense has a strong representation within the genome, allowing the existence of many types of receptors that allow us to capture multiple volatile odor producing molecules, sending electrical signals to higher centers to report the outside world. Several cortical areas are activated in the brain, which are interconnected to form an extensive and complex neural network, linking for example, areas involved with memory and emotions, thus giving this sense of perceptual richness. While the concept of flavor is largely related to the sense of taste, smell provides the necessary integration with the rest of the senses and higher functions. Fully understanding the sense of smell is relevant to health professionals. Knowing the characteristics of the receptors, the transduction processes and convergence of information in the higher centers involved, we can properly detect olfactory disorders in our patients

Electromyographic evaluation of anterior temporal and suprahyoid muscles using habitual methods to determine clinical rest position

The purpose of this study was to compare the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the anterior temporal and suprahyoid muscles using habitual methods to determine the clinical rest position. The sample included 26 healthy subjects with natural dentition, bilateral molar support, and bilateral molar Angle Class I occlusion. Bipolar surface electrodes were located on the right anterior temporal and suprahyoid muscles for EMG recordings. In each subject EMG activity was recorded while standing while performing the following jaw posture tasks: during light occlusal contact in the intercuspal position; during and after pronouncing the word Mississippi; during and after pronouncing the Spanish terms Sesenta y seis (English translation: sixty six); during and after pronouncing the word, business; during and after swallowing of saliva; and while maintaining their mandible in a relaxed posture. Anterior temporal EMG activity in the intercuspal position was significantly higher than all the othe

Influence of laterotrusive occlusal scheme on bilateral masseter EMG activity during clenching and grinding

This study was designed to determine the effect of the occlusal scheme on masseter EMG activity at different jaw posture tasks. The sample included 30 healthy subjects with natural dentition and bilateral molar support, 15 with bilateral canine guidance, and 15 with bilateral group function. An inclusion criterion was that subjects had to be free of signs and symptoms of any dysfunction of the masticatory system. Bipolar surface electrodes were located on the left and right masseter muscles. EMG activity was recorded during the following jaw posture tasks: A. maximal clenching in the intercuspal position; B. grinding from intercuspal position to edge-to-edge lateral contact position; C. maximal clenching in the edge-to-edge lateral contact position; D. grinding from edge-to-edge lateral contact position to intercuspal position. EMG activity in tasks B, C, and D was lower than in task A (mixed model with unstructured covariance matrix). EMG activity was not significantly different wit

The effect of tooth clenching and grinding on anterior temporalis electromyographic activity in healthy subjects

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of tooth clenching and grinding on anterior temporalis electromyographic (EMG) activity. The sample included 30 healthy subjects with natural dentition and bilateral molar support, 15 with bilateral canine guidance and 15 with bilateral group function. An inclusion criterion was that subjects have to be free of signs and symptoms of any dysfunction of the masticatory system. Bipolar surface electrodes were located on the left and right anterior temporalis muscles. EMG activity was recorded during the following conditions: A. eccentric grinding from intercuspal position to the right lateral edge-to-edge contact position; B. clenching in right edge-to-edge lateral contact position; and C. concentric grinding from right lateral edge-to-edge contact position to intercuspal position. On the working side, EMG activity was not significantly different between conditions in both occlusal schemes. On the nonworking side, EMG activity was significantly higher during condition C than condition B in both occlusal schemes (mixed model with unstructured covariance matrix). When comparing by side, EMG activity was significantly higher during conditions A and B on the working side than on the nonworking side. However, there was no significant difference during condition C. EMG activity was significantly lower with canine guidance than group function on the working side (in all conditions) as well as during concentric grinding on the nonworking side. These results could explain muscular symptoms in the anterior temporalis muscles if the subject is experiencing parafunctional habits either while awake and/or sleep that exceed the individual's adaptation capability

Anterior temporalis and Suprahyoid EMG activity during jaw clenching and tooth grinding

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anterior temporalis and suprahyoid electromyographic (EMG) activity during jaw clenching and tooth grinding at different jaw posture tasks. The study included 30 healthy subjects with natural dentition and bilateral molar support, incisive protrusive guidance and bilateral laterotrusive canine guidance. Bipolar surface electrodes were located on the right anterior temporalis and suprahyoid muscles. Three EMG recordings in the standing position were performed in the following tasks: C. clenching in the intercuspal position (IP); P1. eccentric grinding from IP to protrusive edge-to-edge contact position; P2. clenching in protrusive edge-to-edge contact position; P3. concentric grinding from protrusive edge-to-edge contact position to IP; L1. eccentric grinding from IP to laterotrusive edge-to-edge contact position; L2. clenching in laterotrusive edge-to-edge contact position; L3. concentric grinding from laterotrusive edge-to-edge contact positi

The occlusal appliance effect on myofascial pain

There are limited studies about the effects of occlusal appliance (OA) after three months of use. This study aimed to compare myofascial pain (MP) according to RDC/TMD, craniocervical relationships (CR) and masseter and temporalis bilateral electromyographic (EMG) activity, before and after three months of occlusal appliance use. Nineteen patients participated in this study. Cephalometric and RDC/TMD diagnostics were performed previously (baseline) and at the end of the study period (three months). EMG recordings at clinical mandibular rest position (MRP), during swallowing of saliva (SW) and during maximum voluntary clenching (MVC) were performed as follows: after one hour of use of an OA; after three months of using the OA for a minimum of 16 hours each day; and immediately after removal from the mouth. MP was relieved in all patients at the end of the study period. CR did not change significantly between baseline and after removal of the OA at the end of the study period. EMG activ

The occlusal appliance effect on myofascial pain

There are limited studies about the effects of occlusal appliance (OA) after three months of use. This study aimed to compare myofascial pain (MP) according to RDC/TMD, craniocervical relationships (CR) and masseter and temporalis bilateral electromyographic (EMG) activity, before and after three months of occlusal appliance use. Nineteen patients participated in this study. Cephalometric and RDC/TMD diagnostics were performed previously (baseline) and at the end of the study period (three months). EMG recordings at clinical mandibular rest position (MRP), during swallowing of saliva (SW) and during maximum voluntary clenching (MVC) were performed as follows: after one hour of use of an OA; after three months of using the OA for a minimum of 16 hours each day; and immediately after removal from the mouth. MP was relieved in all patients at the end of the study period. CR did not change significantly between baseline and after removal of the OA at the end of the study period. EMG activ

Influence of jaw clenching and tooth grinding on bilateral sternocleidomastoid EMG activity

This study compares the effect of tooth clenching and grinding on sternocleidomastoid electromyographic (EMG) activity during different laterotrusive jaw posture tasks. The study included 28 healthy subjects with natural dentition and bilateral molar support, 14 with bilateral canine guidance and 14 with bilateral group function. Bipolar surface electrodes were located on the left and right sternocleidomastoid muscles. EMG activity was recorded during the following tasks: A. eccentric grinding from intercuspal position to the right lateral edge-to-edge contact position; B. clenching in right edge-to-edge lateral contact position; C. concentric grinding from right lateral edge-to-edge contact position to intercuspal position. On the working side, activity in the task C was significantly higher than in tasks A and B in subjects with canine guidance, whereas no significant differences were observed between tasks in subjects with group function. On the nonworking side, activity was signif