Scientists say it may be possible to develop a taste test to diagnose depression, and determine the best drugs to treat it.
They found taste perception is altered by two brain chemicals, serotonin and noradrenaline, imbalances of which are also implicated in depression.

But they affect taste in different ways, so a taste test could potentially show which was causing illness.

The University of Bristol study appears in the Journal of Neuroscience.

However, an independent expert has cast doubt on the usefulness of the findings.

During the trial, 'healthy' volunteers were given two anti-depressant drugs, which raised the levels of both chemicals in their brain.

Increased serotonin levels appeared to improve sensitivity to sweet and bitter tastes, while increased noradrenaline levels appeared to improve sensitivity to bitter and sour tastes.

Lead researcher Dr Lucy Donaldson said: "Because we have found that different tastes change in response to changes in the two different neurotransmitters, we hope that using a taste test in depressed people will tell us which neurotransmitter is affected in their illness."

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SOURCE: BBC News Online