Creation and Characterization of Two Groups of Subjects to Evaluate Sensitivity

Creation et Characterization of Two Groups of Elderly Subjects so as to Evaluate the Link Between the Characteristics of Oral Physiology, Sensory Sensitivity, the Release in Vivo Aromatic Compounds, and In-mouth Comfort During the Consumption of Foods

There are few data on elderly people concerning mechanisms involved in the in vivo release and perception of aromatic compounds. Any knowledge on this point would be of great interest to the scientific community. Concerning the dimensions of sensory perception and in-mouth comfort, there is, to our knowledge, no methodology to describe them. These dimensions are truly original and innovative, and investigating them will lead to the development of foods adapted to elderly populations with chewing and salivation disorders.

The expected results are:

• to obtain two groups of subjects with differences in chewing abilities and saliva production
• the characterization of flavour release profiles in elderly subjects with regard to oral physiology (mastication and salivation) and saliva composition
• a sensory profile describing in-mouth comfort when food is eaten

Inclusion Criteria:

• Persons who have provided written consent
• Age >= 65 years
• Persons living at home or in an old-people's home (Etablissement Hébergement Personnes Agées Dépendantes : EHPAD)
• Persons able to move around independently

Exclusion Criteria:

• Persons without national health insurance cover
• Persons in hospital
• Persons whose MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) is < 24
• Persons requiring enteral or parenteral feeding
• Persons who in the last 12 months have received € 4500 by participating in clinical studies, including the present study
• Persons in a period of exclusion following a previous study
• Food allergies
• Adults under guardianship