Temporal Dominance of Sensations as A Prognostic Nutritional Assessment of Individuals Undergoing Hemodialysis Treatment

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a clinical syndrome characterized by its irreversibility and slow, progressive evolution, which can be directly or indirectly accelerated by an inadequate diet. Taste abnormalities are prevalent in CKD, possibly due to the accumulation of urea and other non-excreted metabolites. The aim of the study was to assess the sensation dominance of basic tastes in individuals undergoing hemodialysis treatment. The Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) test was employed using the descriptors of basic tastes and the term “none of the options.” The samples were formulated with the concentrations defined by the method for investigating sensitivity to basic tastes, with the exception of umami. The TDS was administered to two distinct groups: the healthy group, which served as the control group and the diagnosed group, which was designated as the experimental group. The healthy group consisted of private university students without a diagnosis of noncommunicable chronic diseases, while the diagnosed group comprised patients with CKD who had undergone hemodialysis for more than 90 days. Subsequently, the results were analyzed for significant differences between the dominance curves using Fisher's exact test (p ≤ 0.05). A total of 90 adult individuals participated in the study, divided equally into two groups. The results indicated statistical differences between the groups regarding the perception of the basic tastes, namely acid, salty, and bitter. The perception of acid taste in the healthy group commenced at 22 s, exhibiting a constant dominance rate. In the diagnosed group, the perception of acidity manifested with a reduced latency period, followed by a distinct progression. The diagnosed group did not exhibit a significant dominance rate for salty taste; however, they did demonstrate a statistical difference in the perception of bitter taste, with a dominance peak > 50%. Changes in the perception of sweet, bitter, and salty tastes can interfere with the consumption of foods rich in carbohydrates and proteins, which increases the risk of energy-protein malnutrition and a worse nutritional prognosis.