Sweet taste hedonic response in anorexia nervosa: connections with nutritional status and psychopathology

Purpose: This study aimed at investigating whether taste sensitivity is reduced in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and at examining the relationship between sweet taste perception, anthropometric and psychopathological parameters. Methods: In this case-control study, 15 female patients aged 12-24 years with eating disorders-comprising 13 with AN and 2 with atypical anorexia nervosa (aAN)-and 9 age-matched healthy controls underwent the assessment of taste sensitivity using 5 mL of a 17% sucrose solution on a visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 100. Anthropometric parameters, bioimpedance measures and questionnaires were collected. Results: Patients with AN exhibited significantly lower VAS scores than controls (p < 0.05). VAS scores were inversely correlated with BSCL test scores for both the anxiety and depression subscales and the total score (anxiety rs = - 0.489, p < 0.05; depression rs = - 0.658, p < 0.01; GSI rs = - 0.590, p < 0.01), and with the SCL-90 for the same domains (anxiety rs = - 0.529, p < 0.05; depression rs = - 0.602, p < 0.01; GSI rs = - 0.614, p < 0.01). Negative correlations were identified for the EDE-Q subscales of restraint (rs = - 0.429, p < 0.05), weight concern (rs = - 0.473, p < 0.05), and body shape concern (rs = - 0.501, p < 0.05), as well as starvation symptoms on the SSI (rs = - 0.435, p = 0.030). Conclusion: Our findings suggest a blunted hedonic response to sweet taste in patients with AN, particularly among those with poorer nutritional status and higher anxiety and depression traits. Longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to evaluate prognostic relevance of assessments of taste sensitivity. Level of evidence: Level III (evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies).