Neurological Causes
The main cause of ageusia is neurological damage to the tissues that control the tongue, especially the glossopharyngeal nerve and the chorda tympani nerve. It can result from head trauma, burning mouth syndrome or BMS, side effects of medications, iatrogenic causes, infected upper respiratory tract, or exposure to harmful chemicals. Many neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis, Familial dysautonomia, and Bell’s palsy are associated with ageusia as well. They affect the regions that are responsible for processing taste signals, including temporal lobes, brain stem, and thalamus. These conditions would also damage the neurological pathways transmitting taste stimuli. [3]
