Taste psychophysics based on a simulation of human drinking

Taste stimulation during human drinking is approximated by alternatestimulation of the tongue with a stimulus liquid and a secondliquid. Such stimulation produces no significant sensory adaptationof taste, in contrast to continuous stimulation with the stimulusliquid. The absence of a reduction over time in judged tasteintensity holds up under variations in flow duration of thetwo liquids (1 sec to 3 sec), stimulus compound NaCl or Na-saccharin),stimulus concentration (2 mM Nasaccharin; 100 mM-500 mM NaCl),or subjects (29). Pulsatile, alternating taste stimulus presentationrepresents a model of taste relevant to human drinking. ¹With the technical assistance of D. Baron and L. Snyder.