Abstract #1727

Mapping “phantom taste” in thermal tasters

Sally Eldeghaidy¹, Martha Skinner², Rebecca Ford², Joanne Hort², and Susan Francis ¹

¹Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom, ²Sensory Science Centre, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom

Thermal taster status refers to a new taste phenotype in which thermal stimulation of the tongue elicits a “phantom” taste in individuals. The mechanism behind thermal taste is not yet known, but hypothesised to arise from entwined gustatory and trigeminal nerves. Here, we use fMRI to perform the first study to investigate whether cortical areas respond to phantom taste. Subjects underwent fMRI to warming/cooling thermal stimulation. Thermal tasters reported a sweet taste as the taste most prevalent during warming/cooling trials. We show that this “phantom” taste elicits significant activation of primary gustatory cortex including anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex.

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