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Examination of olfactory training effectiveness in relation to its complexity and the cause of olfactory loss
Author(s) -
Oleszkiewicz Anna,
Hanf Sandra,
Whitcroft Katie L.,
Haehner Antje,
Hummel Thomas
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.26985
Subject(s) - odor , regimen , audiology , olfactory system , analysis of variance , medicine , olfaction , physiology , psychology , neuroscience , psychiatry
Objective Although the effectiveness of olfactory training (OT) had already been documented, the optimal regimen for such training remains unexplored. We examined whether the complexity of OT, namely alteration of odor quantity and quality, increases its effectiveness. Design One‐hundred eight patients ( M age = 60.1 ± 1) with postinfectious (n = 57) or idiopathic (n = 51) olfactory dysfunction underwent OT preceded and followed by examination of olfactory function. Methods Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the three experimental conditions: 1) simple training comprising four basic, single‐molecule substances; 2) complex training involving four odor mixtures; and 3) odor‐altering training in which patients changed sets of mixtures every 2 months. Results The analysis of variance revealed that the benefit seen in this sample was not affected by the complexity of OT with regard to odor mixtures or alteration of odor type. The highest increase of the Sniffin' Sticks (Burghardt GmbH; Wedel, Germany) threshold, discrimination, and identification (and overall TDI) score was observed in postinfectious patients. Conclusion We conclude that the outcomes of OT are not strongly influenced by the training regimen. However, further investigation of OT regimens is required, particularly with regard to training duration. Level of Evidence 2b. Laryngoscope , 128:1518–1522, 2018