Oral sensory nerve damage: Causes and consequences

Oral sensations (i.e., taste, oral somatosensation, retronasal olfaction) are integrated into a composite sense of flavor, which guides dietary choices with long-term health impact. The nerves carrying this input are vulnerable to peripheral damage from multiple sources (e.g., otitis media, tonsille...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Reviews in Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders 2016-06, Vol.17 (2), p.149-158
Main Authors: Snyder, Derek J., Bartoshuk, Linda M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Diabetes
Endocrinology
Humans
Internal Medicine
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mouth - innervation
Olfaction Disorders - physiopathology
Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology
Taste Disorders - physiopathology
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Summary:Oral sensations (i.e., taste, oral somatosensation, retronasal olfaction) are integrated into a composite sense of flavor, which guides dietary choices with long-term health impact. The nerves carrying this input are vulnerable to peripheral damage from multiple sources (e.g., otitis media, tonsillectomy, head injury), and this regional damage can boost sensations elsewhere in the mouth because of central interactions among nerve targets. Mutual inhibition governs this compensatory process, but individual differences lead to variation in whole-mouth outcomes: some individuals are unaffected, others experience severe loss, and some encounter sensory increases that may (if experienced early in life) elevate sweet-fat palatability and body mass. Phantom taste, touch, or pain sensations (e.g., burning mouth syndrome) may also occur, particularly in those expressing the most taste buds. To identify and treat these conditions effectively, emerging clinical tests measure regional vs. whole-mouth sensation, stimulated vs. phantom cues, and oral anatomy. Scaling methods allowing valid group comparisons have strongly aided these efforts. Overall, advances in measuring oral sensory function in health and disease show promise for understanding the varied clinical consequences of nerve damage.
ISSN:1389-9155
1573-2606
DOI:10.1007/s11154-016-9377-9