Chemosensory function and food preferences among haemodialysis patients.

INTRODUCTION: Malnutrition and disturbed sense of smell and taste frequently occur in patients treated with chronic haemodialysis. The common denominator between chemosensation and nutrition may be food preferences. Our aim was to investigate smell and taste function as well as food preferences among haemodialysis patients and compare the results with those of age-matched controls. METHODS: An observational case-control study was conducted on 29 patients on chronic haemodialysis and 39 age-matched healthy controls. Chemosensory function was evaluated using validated gustatory and olfactory tests. Food preferences were recorded using a questionnaire of 63 items including a five-point Likert scale of familiarity, liking and frequency. RESULTS: Chemosensory function was significantly poorer among patients than among controls. Patients had significantly lower familiarity and frequency of consumptions of all food categories than controls and they also had significantly lower liking of vegetables, fruits and starches. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the provided knowledge about haemodialysis patients' smell and taste function including their food preferences are suggested, such as enhancement of odorant intensity, use of taste amplification, cooking habits and exposure to more varied food items. Assessments of food preferences and chemosensory function prior to determination of individual dietary schedules are therefore recommended. FUNDING: The authors did not receive any financial support for the research or drafting of this article. The authors declare that they have no financial interests to report. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Danish Ethical Committee project number: M-2018-188-18.

Validation of the Danish version ofthe Tinnitus Functional Index.

INTRODUCTION: Consensus about which questionnaire to use is necessary when it comes to evaluation of tinnitus. In Denmark, the Tinnitus Handicap Index is currently used. However, for evaluating treatment-related outcomes, the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) has been optimised for this and is being used in several countries. In this study, we aimed to provide validation of a professionally translated Danish version of the TFI to safely implement this questionnaire in clinical and scientific settings. METHODS: At the Department of Audiology at Hospital West Jutland, Denmark, 133 adult patients suffering from tinnitus with or without hearing loss completed the Danish version of the TFI questionnaire (TFI-Da). Internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability with Pearson's correlation. RESULTS: Internal consistency was calculated for the total TFI score producing an excellent Crohnbach's alpha of 0.96. Crohnbach's alpha scores were also acceptable for all subgroups with values > 0.7. The test-retest reliability in terms of Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.848 for the total TFI scores and was acceptable for all subgroups. CONCLUSION: Our study showed a very high internal consistency and test-retest reliability when using the Danish version of the TFI questionnaire. Therefore, we recommend TFI-Da as the standard questionnaire for tinnitus patients in Denmark, especially for evaluation of treatment impact. FUNDING: none. TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.

Motion sickness and postural control among Danish adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Easily available clinical tests to evaluate postural control are needed. Furthermore, motion sickness (MS) and postural control are correlated. The aims of this study were to compare the internal validity of a set of clinical tests of postural control with the internal validity of static posturography and to evaluate possible associations between postural control and MS. METHODS: We included healthy subjects from a primary school in Denmark who completed questionnaires about MS and underwent two rounds of clinical tests of postural control and static posturography using a Tetrax Interactive Balance System two weeks apart. For clinical tests of postural control, subjects were observed for up to 30 s standing on both legs, on one leg, on a pillow both with their eyes open and again with their eyes closed. RESULTS: Twenty-one subjects were included: 71% males with an average age of 13.7 years. Agreement rates ranged from 62% to 95% between test and retest in clinical tests.; lowest for subjects standing on their non dominant leg with their eyes open and highest for subjects performing Romberg's test with their eyes closed along with subjects standing on a pillow with their eyes open. For several of these tests, almost all subjects were able to hold their balance for the full 30 s. Test-retesting using static posturography by Bland Altman plot showed datapoints scattered equally above and below the mean line indicating no systematic bias. Results of clinical tests and static posturography were not associated. MS was reported from 43% of subjects and a trend was observed with high sway scores from subjects suffering from MS. This was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Due to a ceiling effect, subjects achieved the same scores in both rounds of testing in several of the clinical tests, reducing the clinical importance of these tests. Compared to clinical tests, static posturography seemingly remains the superior method when it comes to evaluation of postural control, although not as easily applicable in a daily clinical setting. When comparing MS and postural control a trend was observed, indicating higher sway scores in subjects suffering from MS.

Positive association between bitter taste threshold and preference of vegetables among adolescents.

AIM: Better understanding of aspects of taste in adolescents is needed since it has bearings on food policies, food industry and pharmaceutical design. Furthermore, taste preferences likely play a role in overeating and anorexia. We aimed to validate a questionnaire about taste preferences and dietary habits along with measurements of sense of smell and taste. METHODS: We included adolescents from nearby schools in Aarhus, Denmark, from 2017 to 2019. Scoring preferences and habits on a Likert scale, they completed a food item questionnaire. Their chemosensation was tested by the Sniffin' Sticks and Taste Drop Test. RESULTS: We included 100 adolescents: 53 males, 47 females; average age: 15.9 years (12-17 years). Retest of the questionnaire showed good reliability (Cohen's kappa: 0.5953). Snacks scored the highest average liking (4.48), whereas starches had the highest frequency of consumption (3.64). Bitter taste threshold was positively associated with liking and familiarity with vegetables (P = .032; P = .012), respectively. Healthy self-reported dietary habits were associated with a higher self-reported consumption of vegetables and a decreased consumption of snacks. CONCLUSION: Adolescents preferred unhealthy food items, but they also reported more frequent consumption of healthy than unhealthy food items. A higher threshold for the bitter taste, that is, being less sensitive to bitter taste, was associated with higher liking and familiarity of vegetables.

Two cases of "stone heart" with fatal outcome.

The "stone heart" syndrome is a rare but often fatal complication of cardiac surgery associated with hypertrophy of the myocardium. The mechanisms behind the syndrome are not fully understood. In this case report, we describe two cases of stone heart in newborn girls. Both girls were born with congenital heart abnormalities including ventricular septum defects (VSD), hypertrophy of the myocardium and patent arterial duct (PDA), which was prenatally diagnosed. In each of the two cases, the stone heart became evident immediately after initiating cardiopulmonary bypass, and ended fatally.