			Home About us Contact

Smell Identification Test (smell + identification_test)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Use of the Brief Smell Identification Test for olfactory deficit in a Norwegian population with Alzheimer's disease

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 10 2007
Grete Kjelvik
Abstract Aims Several studies have shown that Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with hyposmia. Olfactory identification may be a cheap and simple additional test in the assessment of early cognitive changes. The sense of smell is influenced by factors such as experience and culture and the aim of the present study was to assess the validity of the Brief Smell Identification Test (B-SIT) in distinguishing patients with AD from healthy gender and age-matched controls in a Norwegian population. Methods The study included 39 patients with a diagnosis of probable AD, and 52 gender and age-matched controls. Olfactory function was assessed with B-SIT, and a non-standardized olfactory identification task (freshly ground coffee). Results The difference in olfactory performance between patients and controls was highly significant, both for the whole AD patient group and the subgroup of patients with MMSE,,,24. Receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses indicated that B-SIT distinguished patients from controls with high sensitivity and specificity. All the odours in B-SIT with the exception of turpentine showed highly significant differences between patients and controls. AD-associated memory impairment did not seem to affect the answers given for B-SIT in this population. Conclusions For patients with AD, the Brief Smell Identification Test (B-SIT) appears to be well-suited for detecting a deficit in olfactory identification in a Norwegian population. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

The Diagnosis of a Conductive Olfactory Loss,

THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 1 2001
Allen M. Seiden MD, FACS
Abstract Objectives/Hypothesis Two of the most common causes of olfactory loss include upper respiratory infection (URI) and nasal or sinus disease. The etiology of most URI-related losses is thought to be viral and, as yet, there is no available treatment. In contrast, nasal or sinus disease produces an obstructive or conductive loss that often responds dramatically to appropriate therapy. Therefore, the distinction is important but in many cases may be difficult because such patients often present with no other nasal symptoms, and routine physical findings may be nonspecific. The purpose of this report is to characterize those aspects of the history and physical examination that will help to substantiate the diagnosis of a conductive olfactory loss. Study Design A retrospective, nonrandomized study of consecutive patients presenting with a primary complaint of olfactory loss. Methods This study reviewed 428 patients seen at a university-based taste and smell clinic from July 1987 through December 1998. Of this total, 60 patients were determined to have a conductive olfactory loss. All patients were referred specifically because of a primary chemosensory complaint. The University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT; Sensonics, Inc., Haddon Heights, NJ) was administered in all cases. Results The most commonly diagnosed etiologies of olfactory loss were head injury (18%), upper respiratory infection (18%), and nasal or sinus disease (14%). Of the 60 patients with a conductive loss, only 30% complained of nasal obstruction, whereas 58% described a history of chronic sinusitis. Only 45% reported that their olfactory loss at times seemed to fluctuate in severity. Anterior rhinoscopy failed to diagnose pathology in 51% of cases, whereas nasal endoscopy missed the diagnosis in 9%. Systemic steroids elicited a temporary reversal of conductive olfactory loss in 83% of patients who received them, offering a useful diagnostic maneuver, whereas topical steroids did so in only 25%. Conclusions The etiology for olfactory loss can in many cases be difficult to determine, but it is important to establish prognosis and to predict response to therapy. Diagnosis requires a thorough history, appropriate chemosensory testing, and a physical examination that should include nasal endoscopy. A trial of systemic steroids may serve to verify that the loss is indeed conductive. [source]

Olfactory identification in young relatives at risk for schizophrenia

ACTA NEUROPSYCHIATRICA, Issue 3 2009
Matcheri S. Keshavan
Objective: Olfactory identification deficits (OIDs) are seen in schizophrenia, but it is unclear whether they are state- or trait-related. Methods: We examined the prevalence of OIDs, as assessed by the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), and their correlations with prodromal symptoms in young relatives at risk for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (HR-S). Results: UPSIT scores were lower in HR- S than in healthy controls, but were non-significant after covarying the effects of age, gender and IQ. OID deficits in HR-S were correlated, after covarying out the effects of age and IQ, with prodromal disorganisation. Conclusion: The potential value of OID deficits as markers of psychopathological vulnerability in young relatives at risk for schizophrenia deserves further investigation. [source]