Objectives
Olfactory dysfunction is a common problem. However, too little attention has been paid to questionnaires used to evaluate quantitative olfactory dysfunction. Therefore, the current study ...aimed to develop a simple self‐reported Mini Olfactory Questionnaire (Self‐MOQ) for the screening of quantitative olfactory dysfunction in clinical practice.
Methods
Two hundred and eighty‐five patients who had subjective complaints of olfactory disorder participated. The Sniffin’ Sticks test score was used to define functional anosmia, hyposmia, or normosmia. We assessed the factor structure as well as internal consistency, convergent validity, and discrimination performance.
Results
The results showed that the final version of the Self‐MOQ included only one factor with five items. The Self‐MOQ has a good internal reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.84) and validity (r = −0.60, P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic analyses indicated that the Self‐MOQ as compared to a visual analogue scale (VAS) is an effective measure for discriminating normosmic from hyposmic/anosmic patients, anosmic patients, and hyposmic patients.
Conclusion
The Self‐MOQ is a simple, reliable and valid questionnaire to screen olfactory dysfunction in clinical practice that appears to be superior to the use of VASs but does not replace olfactory testing.
Level of Evidence
4
Laryngoscope, 2019
Odor memory is an important field of clinical research for its distinctive characteristics, which differ from those of other sensory systems. To date, several tests have been implemented for the ...assessment of odor memory. Despite a range of studies demonstrating the importance of verbal mediation in odor memory, few have distinguished odor memory performance in different odor verbalization levels.
We aimed to develop a standardized odor memory test toolbox with one group of odors that are easily verbally identified and the other group of odors that are difficult to identify. The test contained two odor categories (high- and low-verbalizability odors), each consisting of three subtests (short- and long-term memory and working memory).
Satisfactory test-retest reliability and solid validity of the odor recognition and working memory test were shown in both odor categories. Moreover, people scored significantly better with high- than low-verbalizability odors. A negative age effect on odor memory performance was also found.
No previous odor memory test distinguished odor memory performance in different odor verbalization levels, while the Olfactory Memory Test Battery (OMTB) contains high- and low-verbalizability odors and each category has three subtests.
The present study indicated the OMTB is a comprehensive assessment of odor memory with good reliability and validity. All subtests can be used separately or in combination with each other according to the clinical and research needs.
•We develop a comprehensive odor memory test with high- and low-verbalizability odors and good reliability and validity.•A negative age effect on odor memory performance was found.•People scored significantly better with high- than low-verbalizability odors.•Each category has three subtests and they can be used independently or in combination.
The gap between the demand and delivery of mental health services in mainland China can be reduced by validating freely available and psychometrically sound psychological instruments. The present ...research examined the Chinese version of the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Study 1 administered the DASS-21 to 1,815 Chinese college students and found internal consistency indices (Cronbach's alpha) of .83, .80, and .82 for the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress subscales, respectively, and .92 for the total DASS total. Test-retest reliability over a 6-month interval was .39 to .46 for each of the 3 subscales and .46 for the total DASS. Moderate convergent validity of the Depression and Anxiety subscales was demonstrated via significant correlations with the Chinese Beck Depression Inventory (r = .51 at Time 1 and r = .64 at Time 2) and the Chinese State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (r = .41), respectively. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the original 3-factor model with 1 minor change (nonnormed fit index NNFI = .964, comparative fit index CFI = .968, and root mean square error of approximation RMSEA = .079). Study 2 examined the clinical utility of the Chinese DASS-21 in 166 patients with schizophrenia and 90 matched healthy controls. Patients had higher Depression and Anxiety but not Stress subscale scores than healthy controls. A discriminant function composed of the linear combination of 3 subscale scores correctly discriminated 69.92% of participants, which again supported the potential clinical utility of the DASS in mainland China. Taken together, findings in these studies support the cross-cultural validity of the DASS-21 in China.
Food neophobia, the reluctance to try novel food, is associated with numerous personality traits. Schizotypy, a subclinical phenotype of schizophrenia, consists of reduced severity of symptoms or ...traits of schizophrenia, which have been shown to consume a poor diet. However, there is no study directly examining the relationship between food neophobia and schizotypal traits. In addition, chemosensory hedonic capacity, the ability to experience pleasure simulated by smell or taste, is considered to be related to both schizotypal traits and food neophobia. Nevertheless, little is known about the role of chemosensory hedonic capacity on the relationship between schizotypal traits and food neophobia. In the present study, 2,581 college students completed the Food Neophobia Scale, Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, and Chemosensory Pleasure Scale to examine food neophobia traits, schizotypal traits, and chemosensory hedonic capacity, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that schizotypal traits were significantly positively correlated with food neophobia. Mediation analysis revealed that chemosensory hedonic capacity partially mediated the relationship between schizotypal traits, especially negative schizotypal traits and food neophobia. In conclusion, schizotypal traits were associated with food neophobia, and the relationship between schizotypal traits and food neophobia was mediated by chemosensory hedonic capacity.
Practical Applications
The present study is among the first to reveal that food neophobia was associated with schizotypal traits, which was mediated by chemosensory hedonic capacity. Therefore, our results might provide a new perspective of alleviating food neophobia by improving chemosensory hedonic capacity such as olfactory and gustatory training in the schizophrenia spectrum disorder.
Abstract
The sense of smell is essential in daily life. Children with olfactory dysfunction face a series of problems, so assessing olfactory function during early‐life period is very important. The ...Universal Sniff (U‐Sniff) test is a widely used measurement of odor identification ability in children and adolescents, although there is a lack of normative data in China. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish normative data for the U‐Sniff test in a large sample of healthy Chinese children and adolescents. A total of 922 healthy children and adolescents (441 boys, 481 girls) aged 6–17 years from China were involved in this study. Odor identification performance was assessed using the U‐Sniff test. The U‐Sniff test mean score across all participants was 10.50 ± 1.73 points (range 1–12). U‐Sniff test scores increased with age, and no effects of sex or an interaction between age group and sex were recorded in this population.
Practical Applications
There is currently no published data reporting normative data of the U‐Sniff test among Chinese children and adolescents. From the present research, normative data for olfactory identification using the U‐Sniff test have been established for Chinese population aged 6–17 years. This study provides routine measurements to support future examinations at hospitals, school check‐ups and so on, which can help patients with reduced olfactory function receive appropriate therapy as early as possible.
Background
Early‐onset obsessive–compulsive disorder (EOCD) is a comparatively severe subtype of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Olfactory dysfunction is a common symptom of OCD, but all ...previous studies have focused on late‐onset OCD (LOCD).
Methods
The current study compared olfactory identification ability in EOCD patients and age‐matched and sex‐matched LOCD patients and healthy controls. Thirty patients with EOCD, 30 patients with LOCD and 30 healthy controls were included in the study. Olfactory function was measured using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test. The Logical Memory and Visual Reproduction components of the Revised Wechsler Memory Scale were used to evaluate verbal and visual memory.
Results
There were significant differences in olfactory identification ability between the three groups. EOCD patients were comparable to LOCD patients, while both patients' group showing worse olfactory identification ability than controls. Olfactory identification ability was not significantly correlated with verbal and visual memory or clinical symptoms in the EOCD group or the LOCD group.
Conclusions
The results of the present study suggest that olfactory identification ability may be a relatively stable indicator of OCD, independent of age, duration of illness, verbal and visual memory, and severity of clinical symptoms.
The Revised Sociosexual Orientation Inventory (SOI-R) is a measurement tool for assessing an individual’s willingness to engage in uncommitted sexual relations. Despite its widespread use in various ...contexts, no studies have validated the use of this instrument in China. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of an existing Chinese translation of the SOI-R. A total of 2,209 participants were recruited and randomly divided into two groups: exploratory factor analysis was conducted on one group and confirmatory factor analysis on the other, with 161 participants from the total sample recruited to assess the test–retest reliability. Criterion validity was measured by testing the correlations between sociosexuality and sexual desire, mate value, sexual attitudes, and personality traits. The results confirmed a three-factor structure (sociosexual behaviors, attitudes, and desire) for the SOI-R. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated good reliability (internal consistency and test–retest stability) and validity (criterion validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity) of the SOI-R, supporting its suitability as an assessment tool for sociosexual orientation in China.
Objective: Pleasure is essential to normal healthy life. Olfaction, as 1 of the neurobehavioral probes of hedonic capacity, has a unique advantage compared to other sensory modalities. However, it is ...unclear how olfactory hedonic information is processed in the brain. This study aimed to investigate olfactory hedonic processing in the human brain. Method: We conducted an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis on 16 functional imaging studies that examined brain activation in olfactory hedonic processing-related tasks in healthy adults. Results: The results show that there is a core olfactory hedonic processing network, which consists of the bilateral parahippocampal gyrus/amygdala (BA34), the left middle frontal gyrus (BA6), the right middle frontal gyrus/lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC; BA10), the bilateral cingulate gyrus (BA32), the right lentiform nucleus/lateral globus pallidus, the right medial frontal gyrus/medial OFC (BA11), the left superior frontal gyrus (BA10), and the right insula (BA13). Moreover, our findings highlight that the right hemisphere is predominant in explicit odor hedonic judgment. Finally, the results indicate that there are significant differences in brain activation for hedonic judgment and passive smelling. Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis that the OFC plays a key role in explicit hedonic judgment.
•We investigated the prevalence of specific anosmia to non-steroid odorants in children and adolescents.•The rate of specific anosmia decreases from childhood to adolescence.•This decrease is ...independent of sex and is most pronounced for odorants with higher molecular weight.
Specific anosmia is defined as the inability to detect a particular odorant, despite a normal olfactory function. Previous studies reported sex-related difference in detection threshold to steroid odorants, like androstenone or androstadienone during adolescence, and boys showed an increased detection threshold with age. However, such investigations have not been performed for non-steroid odorants. Hence, the current study investigated sex- and age-related effects on the prevalence of specific anosmia in children/adolescents aged 5–14 years (n = 800) to non-steroid odorants. The detection thresholds of three non-steroid odorants (bacdanol, methylsalicylate, and 3-hydrox-2-methyl-4-pyrone) with different molecular weights were measured. Results indicate that the rate of specific anosmia for all three odorants decreases from childhood to adolescence. This decrease is independent of sex and is most pronounced for odorants with higher molecular weight compared to the odorant with lower molecular weight. Thus, the development of basic olfactory functions for these three odorants continues until adolescence. The effect of molecular weight suggests that the locus of effect is at the periphery of the olfactory system, due to changes in either olfactory receptor expression patterns or perireceptor events.
Olfaction is an important medium of social communication in humans. However, it is not known whether olfactory function is associated with social network size. This study aimed to explore the ...underlying neural mechanism between olfactory function and social network. Thirty-one healthy individuals participated in this study. Social network size was estimated using the Social Network Index. Olfactory function was assessed with the Sniffin' Stick Test. The results showed that there is a significant positive correlation between the size of an individual's social network and their olfactory sensitivity. We also found that amygdala functional connectivity with the orbitofrontal cortex appeared to be related to olfactory sensitivity and social network size.
PDF