Is Metallic Perception a Taste, an Aroma, or a Flavor?

The study investigates whether the perception of metallic taste (MT) is an aroma or a taste. MT tends to disappear with nasal occlusion, indicating it might be an aroma. However, it also occurs after neurological injuries that affect taste through the facial nerve. The perception of an iron sulfate solution applied to different parts of the tongue (related to the facial and glossopharyngeal nerves) was assessed in 120 healthy volunteers with either open (n = 60) or closed (n = 60) noses. Nasal occlusion significantly reduced the perception of iron sulfate, eliminating it in 31.7% of participants but not completely in the remaining 68.3%. With open noses, the intensity was significantly stronger when applied to the glossopharyngeal nerve region than to the facial nerve. These differences disappeared with nasal occlusion. The conclusion is that metallic perception involves both retro‐olfactory and gustatory components, suggesting it is a metallic flavor. Trial Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05227157 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]