Blijleven EE, Fuchten D, Dullaart MJ, Stokroos RJ, Thomeer HGXM, Wegner I. Systematic review: Validity, reliability, and diagnostic accuracy of the electrogustometer.
Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol 2023;
8:1068-1079. [PMID:
37621297 PMCID:
PMC10446320 DOI:
10.1002/lio2.1108]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective
What are the electrogustometer's (EGM) validity, reliability, and diagnostic accuracy in assessing taste sensation in adults compared to other taste tests?
Data Sources
PubMed Medline, Elseviers's Embase, and the six databases of Cochrane Library.
Methods
We conducted a systematic search on December 20, 2022, consisting of synonyms for EGM. We considered randomized controlled trials and observational studies with original data for inclusion if they included adults who underwent electrogustometry. Articles were excluded if no analysis regarding validity, reliability, or diagnostic accuracy had been performed or if these analyses could not be performed with the published data.
Results
Nineteen articles discussing 18 studies were included for data extraction. The included studies carry a high risk of bias. Overall, the association between a variety of reference taste tests and EGM was moderate or weak with correlation coefficients ranging from -0.51 to 0.40 with one outlier of -0.74 found in one study correlating EGM and taste solutions. Test-retest reliability was good with reported correlation coefficients between 0.78 and 1.0. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of EGM in identifying abnormal taste function varied widely between the four studies on diagnostic accuracy.
Conclusion
The included studies in this review lack the required standards regarding study design to draw firm conclusions about the validity, reliability, and diagnostic accuracy of the EGM. Future research is needed to assess these measurement properties. Based on the reported results, we would not recommend using the EGM as a screening test for taste disturbance in clinical practice.
Level of Evidence
NA.
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