TASTE THRESHOLDS, TASTE SENSITIVITY AND THE EFFECTS OF ADRENALECTOMY IN RATS

A number of behavioral experiments have attempted to measure the absolute taste thresholds in the rat. Certain aspects of the procedures and methods of data analysis used in these experiments are reviewed with the suggestions that: (1) Although comparisons have commonly been made between the taste threshold values reported in different experiments, these are not valid because of the absence of a common definition of threshold. (2) The high threshold model on which these experiments are based may be inappropriate. (3) It is possible to measure taste sensitivity rather than taste thresholds, and (4) Had these points been considered in previous experiments different conclusions might have resulted regarding the effects of adrenalectomy on NaCl sensitivity.