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Odor Identification (odor + identification)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	85%

Selected Abstracts

Parkinsonism and dystonia caused by the illicit use of ephedrone,A longitudinal study,

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 15 2008
Marianna Selikhova MD
Abstract A neurological syndrome characterized by levodopa unresponsive bradykinesia, retropulsion with falls backwards, dysarthria, gait disturbance, dystonia, and emotional lability was identified in 13 male opiate addicts following the prolonged intravenous use of ephedrone (methcathinone), a central nervous stimulant prepared from pseudoephedrine, potassium permanganate, and vinegar. The natural history, response to treatment, and clinical features has been studied, and MR and dopamine transporter SPECT brain imaging were carried out. Pubic hair was sampled for manganese. The clinical and radiological picture closely resembled previous reports of chronic manganese poisoning and increased mean manganese level in pubic hair observed for at least 1 year after cessation of ephedrone. Odor identification was intact. Cognitive assessment showed a mild executive dysfunction and a mild depression. DaTSCANs were all normal. The neurological syndrome bears some similarities to PSP but differs from Parkinson's disease. Delayed neurological progression despite discontinuation of ephedrone occurred in one-third of cases. Ephedrone poisoning should be considered as a possible cause of secondary Parkinsonism in young adults, particularly from Eastern Europe. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society [source]

Olfactory identification in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder

JOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 2 2000
Jennifer J. Vasterling
Abstract Recent neuropsychological conceptualizations of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) implicate dysfunction of the fronto-limbic system, a brain system thought to be involved in the mediation of emotion. However, few studies have examined fronto-limbic subregions, such as the orbitofrontal cortex, in PTSD. As a measure of orbitofrontal integrity, olfactory identification was assessed in 26 Vietnam War veterans with PTSD, 25 Vietnam War veterans without mental disorders, and 17 Vietnam-era, non-war-zone veterans without mental disorders. Relative to veterans without PTSD, those diagnosed with PTSD were less proficient in odor identification and verbal learning but not on other cognitive tests sensitive to dorsolateral prefrontal and mesial temporal functioning. Results bolster prior research indicating fronto-limbic dysfunction in PTSD, and suggest involvement of the orbitofrontal region. [source]

Extended testing across, not within, tasks raises diagnostic accuracy of smell testing in Parkinson's disease,

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 1 2009
Sanne Boesveldt MSc
Abstract The aim of this study was to determine whether extended olfactory testing within a single olfactory task and/or across olfactory tasks increases diagnostic accuracy of olfactory testing in Parkinson's disease (PD). Olfactory function was assessed using an extended version of the "Sniffin' Sticks", comprising 32-item odor identification and discrimination tasks, and a detection threshold task in 52 PD patients and 50 controls, all aged between 49 and 78 years. ROC curves based on sensitivity and specificity estimates were used to compare the diagnostic accuracy of extended and combined olfactory testing. There was no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between the 16-item and the 32-item versions of the odor identification or discrimination test. The single olfactory test that was best in discriminating between PD patients and controls was a 16-item odor identification test. A combination of the 16-item identification test and the detection threshold task had a significantly higher area under the curve than the 16-item odor identification test alone. In conclusion, extended testing across, and not within, olfactory tasks increases diagnostic accuracy of olfactory testing in PD. A combination of an odor detection threshold task and a 16-item odor identification test had the highest sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing between PD patients and controls. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society [source]

Familial aggregation of olfactory impairment and odor identification in older adults,

THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 8 2010
Laura A. Raynor MS
Abstract Objectives/Hypothesis: The objective of this analysis was to estimate the genetic contributions to olfactory impairment. Study Design: Population based. Methods: Olfactory impairment was measured using the San Diego Odor Identification Test at the 5-year follow-up examination for the population-based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss study. Subjects were classified as impaired if they correctly identified fewer than six out of eight odorants. To reduce confounding by age, analysis was restricted to subjects who were 60 to 79 years of age. Familial aggregation was evaluated by heritability estimates, tetrachoric correlations, and odds ratios in 207 sibling pairs from 135 sibships. Results: The prevalence of olfactory impairment was 20.2% overall and was higher in men. After adjustment for sex, age, and smoking, heritability of olfactory impairment was moderate (h2 = 0.55), although not statistically significantly different from 0 (P = .09). By contrast, the adjusted heritability estimate for bubble gum, one of the individual odorants, was significant (h2 = 0.51; P = .01). Conclusions: Genetic factors might contribute to general olfactory impairment in older adults, but the strength of familial aggregation differs for individual odorants, a finding consistent with prior research. Laryngoscope, 2010 [source]

Retronasal olfactory function in Parkinson's disease

THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 11 2009
Basile N. Landis MD
Abstract Objectives/Hypothesis: Orthonasal olfaction is severely altered in PD patients. Retronasal olfactory function has been shown to be preserved under certain conditions even in the absence of orthonasal function. This study was undertaken to investigate retronasal versus orthonasal olfactory function in Parkinson's disease (PD). Study Design: Prospective study. Methods: A total of 45 PD patients (mean age, 61 years; range 26,82 years) underwent orthonasal olfactory testing with a standardized olfactory test (Sniffin' Sticks) and retronasal olfactory testing with a 10-item identification kit based on aromatized powders. Results: Regarding orthonasal tests, all PD patients scored within the range of hyposmia and functional anosmia. The mean correct orthonasal identification score for PD patients was 56% ± 2.6%, and the mean retronasal identification rate was 60% ± 3%. There was no significant difference between ortho- and retronasal odor identification (P = .15). Conclusions: The present study shows that retronasal and orthonasal olfactory function are severely impaired in PD patients, and this impairment is of similar magnitude for both functions. The contribution of this finding to the food-intake behavior of PD patients is discussed. Laryngoscope, 2009 [source]

Smell and taste disorders in polyneuropathy: a prospective study of chemosensory disorders

ACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 4 2009
J. G. Heckmann
Objective,,, The aim of the study was to assess the occurrence and the frequency of chemosensory dysfunction in patients with polyneuropathy (PNP). Methods,,, We performed a prospective observational study. Olfactory function was assessed using the standardized ,Sniffin' Sticks' test to measure odor threshold for phenyl ethyl alcohol, odor discrimination, and odor identification. Gustatory function was assessed using the standardized ,taste strips' test. In addition, we assessed etiology, neurophysiology, and severity of the PNP, and the patients' comorbidities and medication. Results,,, A total of 53 consecutive patients were enroled (15 women, 38 men; mean age 61 years); 27 of them (51%) exhibited olfactory dysfunction and 23 of them (43%) gustatory dysfunction. Patients with diabetic PNP had significantly lower taste scores than patients with inflammatory, genetic, or idiopathic PNP. In addition, odor identification was negatively correlated with PNP severity. Conclusion,,, The applied bedside tests are useful to detect chemosensory dysfunction in patients with PNP. Chemosensory dysfunction is quite frequent in these patients. [source]