Salt Taste Sensitivity: A Signal Detection Approach

Abstract

A flow procedure was used to measure the sensitivity of two subjects to NaCl stimuli after adaptation to 10 mM and 30 mM NaCl. The signal detection rating procedure was used and thirteen receiver operating characteristic (R.O.C.) curves obtained. Assumptions of normality and equal variance for the noise and signal plus noise distributions were upheld while d′ and nonparametric P( A) values were found to be comparable to those reported in earlier threshold studies. Advantages of the technique are discussed.