What can psychophysical studies with sweetness inhibitors teach us about taste?

In this chapter we demonstrate how perceptual studies with inhibitors help guide molecular studies toward an understanding of taste mechanisms. We illustrate this point through the use of sweet taste inhibitors in three different perceptual paradigms: water-taste induction, enhancement of differential sensitivity (decreasing Weber's fraction), and cross-modal inhibition. We show how perceptual studies might complement molecular/functional studies to develop more complete understandings of taste physiology.