Clinical Assessment of Retronasal Olfactory Function

Abstract

Results of the present investigation indicate that the assessment of retronasal olfactory function is possible using oral stimulus presentation.

Olfactometric assessment - where do we stand today?

“…Squeezable plastic devices spread the powder in the oral cavity, in the middle of the tongue. The patient rinses his mouth after every sub-stance and the test procedure is 4 verbal items forced -choice 6 . According to the literature, advantages and drawbacks regarding psychophysical tests are certified.…”

“…They are easy to implement, they are validated in multicenter studies and they have high test-retest reliability. But, at the same time, psychophysical tests are semi-objective, the results being influenced by the patient's bias, and they are not reliable in forensic patients 6,7 . Electrophysiological evaluation is used to register objective nervous responses after chemosensory olfactory stimulation.…”

Olfaction and traumatic head injury - Is it possible to discriminate between malingering and patients with smell disorders based on nowadays knowledge?

“…Psychophysical testing of retronasal olfaction. Nowadays, there is a reliable psychophysical test for the assessment of retronasal olfaction 43,44 . The test involves placing a taste powder in the mouth and asking the patient to detect and mention the taste from a list of four choices.…”

Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Olfactory Dysfunction

“…Each substance is identified by means of a forced-choice procedure between 4 items. (Heilmann et al, 2002) Nevertheless these tests have the disadvantage to be semi-objective and might be biased by the patient's response.…”