Introduction

Two recent brain morphological studies reported inconsistent results on the neuroanatomical correlates of taste intensity rating among healthy populations. The current study re-visited this issue with a large and more homogeneous sample size. It was hypothesized that the orbitofrontal cortex, the sole region commonly reported by the two studies together with olfactory studies, had its gray matter volume (GMV) correlated to taste intensity rating.

Methods

The open data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP, S1200 release dataset) was used. Data from 213 subjects were analyzed. They were aged 22–25, completed 3-Tesla structural brain scan, and were asked to taste a bitter solution (0.001 M quinine) and rate the perceived intensity with a general Labelled Magnitude Scale. The age-adjusted taste intensity rating was used for the current analysis. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) using CAT12 toolbox implemented in SPM12 was conducted with the default procedures and settings. Whole brain analysis was performed at a threshold of cluster p < 0.05, familywise error corrected (FWE), with a primary cluster-forming threshold of uncorrected voxel p < 0.001.

Results

Voxel-wise GMV was significantly correlated to taste intensity rating in the right angular gyrus. OFC was insignificant even with a more liberal threshold of uncorrected voxel p < 0.001.

Conclusions

The current results were again different from previously published reports. This might be due to heterogeneous population, data processing, and analytical methods.

Implications

At the current stage, the morphometric finding from brain imaging is not yet a simple and reliable biomarker for assessing taste intensity perception.

中文翻译：

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灰质体积与苦味感知强度的关联：基于体素的形态测量研究

介绍

最近的两项大脑形态学研究报告了健康人群味觉强度评级的神经解剖学相关性的不一致结果。当前的研究以大且更均匀的样本量重新审视了这个问题。据推测，眶额皮质是这两项研究和嗅觉研究共同报告的唯一区域，其灰质体积（GMV）与味觉强度评级相关。

方法

使用来自人类连接组项目（HCP、S1200 发布数据集）的开放数据。分析了 213 名受试者的数据。他们的年龄在 22 至 25 岁之间，完成了 3-特斯拉结构性脑部扫描，并被要求品尝苦味溶液（0.001 M 奎宁），并使用通用标记量表对感知强度进行评分。当前的分析使用年龄调整后的味觉强度评级。使用在 SPM12 中实现的 CAT12 工具箱的基于体素的形态测量 (VBM) 是通过默认程序和设置进行的。全脑分析以簇阈值p < 0.05进行，家族误差校正 (FWE)，主要簇形成阈值为未校正体素p < 0.001。

结果

体素方面的 GMV 与右角回的味觉强度评级显着相关。即使使用更宽松的未校正体素阈值p < 0.001，OFC 也是微不足道的。

结论

目前的结果再次与之前发布的报告不同。这可能是由于人口、数据处理和分析方法的异质性造成的。

影响

在现阶段，大脑成像的形态测量结果还不是评估味觉强度感知的简单可靠的生物标志物。