How mouth cooling and flavor taste influence eating behavior
Official title: Temperature and thermogustatory preferences
Funded at University of Oklahoma · NIH-11361127 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how temperature sensations in the mouth affect why people choose certain foods and flavors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Oklahoma NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Norman, United States) |
| Project start | July 3, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $235,352 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DC020843-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11361127 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals concerned with appetite, flavor perception, or eating behaviors who may benefit from insights into how temperature contributes to flavor and intake preferences.
✕Less likely to help
People with no interest in how mouth temperature influences flavor perception or those not involved in eating or appetite studies may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers are exploring how thermal sensations in the mouth, especially cooling, influence food preferences and mouthfeel using a mouse model. They have created a specialized device that can vary the temperature of drinks given to mice to see how temperature changes affect licking behavior and flavor perception. The study focuses on a cold-sensing receptor (TRPM8) to understand its role in shaping innate and learned responses to cooled liquids. Findings could illuminate how temperature interacts with taste and flavor to influence eating and drinking choices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to better understanding of how temperature affects flavor and eating behaviors, potentially informing treatments for appetite and eating disorders in humans.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that temperature and taste can interact to influence licking and intake behaviors in animal models, supporting the viability of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Oklahoma
Norman, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lemon, Christian H — University of Oklahoma
- Study coordinator: Lemon, Christian H
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.