Olfactory functional testing: sensitivity and specificity for Alzheimer's disease

✍ Scribed by Claire Murphy

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 90 KB
• Volume: 56
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0272-4391
• DOI: 10.1002/ddr.10067

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The neuropathological changes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are earliest observed in areas of the brain central to olfactory processing, suggesting the theoretical importance and potential diagnostic utility of assessment of olfactory function in these patients. Investigations conducted to assess olfaction function in both patients with AD and those at risk for the disease are reviewed. Functional testing included olfactory threshold, odor identification, odor memory, and odor fluency. Both Alzheimer's patients and those at risk for the disease showed significant impairment in olfactory function, with some measures showing more impairment than others in the early stages of the disease process. Longitudinal investigation of some measures indicated decreased function over time consonant with increasing dementia. The sensitivity and specificity of some of these olfactory assessments will be related to analogous assessments in other modalities. The results support the incorporation of olfactory measures in batteries for assessment of early AD. Drug Dev. Res. 56:123–131, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.