Although a large number of head trauma patients evidence significant alterations In the ability to taste and smell, quantitative assessment of their dysfunction is rarely performed. This is unfortunate, since such assessment Is critical for establishing the validity of the complaint, characterizing the specific nature of the problem, objectively monitoring changes in function over time, Including those resulting from medical Interventions or treatments, detecting malingering, and establishing compensation for disability. In this article, a discussion of the theory and methods for objectively testing the senses of taste and smell is presented, along with a number of examples of the application of various chemosensory tests in the clinical setting.