Why do some persons with autism feel that a watermelon with salt is not tasty?

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22885
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 61:Human informatics and related fields
• Research Institution: National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities
• Principal Investigator: Wada Makoto 国立障害者リハビリテーションセンター(研究所), 研究所 脳機能系障害研究部, 研究室長 (20407331)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小早川 達 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 情報・人間工学領域, 上級主任研究員 (70357010)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 偏食 / 味覚 / 時間 / 自閉スペクトラム症 / 発達障害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study aimed to understand the background of picky eating in individuals with developmental disorders by examining temporal processing of taste and comparing it with individual differences in eating behaviors. An online survey was conducted to determine the relationship between eating behavior, subjective taste perception, and autistic traits. Results indicated that in addition to texture problems, avoidance of mixed tastes was associated with autistic traits. On the other hand, we developed a temporal order judgment task of sweet and salty tastes, and measured brain functions using MEG. The results showed that participants with higher empathy traits (EQ score) were more likely to perceive that the sweet taste comes first, when mixtures of salty and sweet tastes was delivered. Thus, although not expected, the temporal characteristics of taste processing were found to be related to cognitive style.

Free Research Field

認知科学・神経生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

アンケート調査からは、自閉傾向が高い人では、味の混ざりに対する忌避感や食感の問題が生じがちなことが判明し、酸味への好みが食べ物の苦手に深く関与する可能性が示唆された。心理物理実験からは、味知覚の特徴と共感性が関連する可能性を示すことができた。味知覚の時間的統合の特徴が、共感性と関連することは、これまで知られておらず、味覚認知の神経基盤を考えるうえで重要な発見と考えている。また、自閉傾向・味知覚の特徴と食行動の関連を示したことは、支援を考えるうえで、重要な示唆を得ることができたと考えている。