| 1. |
- Wehling, Eike, et al.
(författare)
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Does it matter how we pose the question "How is your sense of smell?"
- 2014
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Ingår i: Chemosensory Perception. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1936-5802 .- 1936-5810. ; 7:3-4, s. 103-107
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There is a rather large, and unfortunate, discrepancy in the outcome between self-reported and standardized assessment of olfactory function. Questions for self-evaluation are commonly used that provide no information of with what to compare (comparison target) one's olfactory function. We therefore investigated whether responses differed between an unspecific question and two questions providing comparison targets. Ninety-six healthy community-dwelling individuals (62.5 % women) aged 49-80 years evaluated their odor identification ability, followed by standardized assessment of odor identification ability. Results revealed that response patterns varied significantly depending on comparison target. While 81 % reported normal function when no further comparison target was presented, 69 % reported normal function when referring to age-related olfactory changes in identification ability. In turn, sensitivity of the accuracy of self-reported reduced odor identification ability (with standardized assessment as reference) increased from 11 to 37 %, whereas specificity decreased from 86 to 71 % when providing a comparison target. Accuracy of self-reported olfactory function can be increased by including a comparison target. However, standardized assessment is to be preferred over self-reported assessment, irrespective of how the question is formulated.
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| 2. |
- Wehling, Eike, et al.
(författare)
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Even cognitively well-functioning adults are unaware of their olfactory dysfunction : Implications for ENT clinicians and researchers
- 2015
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Ingår i: Rhinology. - Utrecht, Netherlands : International Rhinologic Society. - 0300-0729 .- 1996-8604. ; 53:1, s. 89-94
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Past findings of an impact of cognitive impairment on awareness of olfactory dysfunction, and high prevalence of age-associated cognitive impairment motivated the present study of whether middle-aged and elderly adults are unaware of an olfactory dysfunction despite being carefully screened for cognitive impairment. Methodology: The sample included 203 Norwegian participants, aged 46-79 years, 134 women and 69 men, who underwent comprehensive neuropsychological assessment for screening of cognitive impairment. Subjective assessment of olfactory function ("How would you estimate your sense of smell?") was compared with outcome on objective assessment of olfactory function with the Scandinavian Odor Identification Test, which in the present study was shown to be valid for use on Norwegian populations. Results: We found that 79% of this cognitively healthy sample with objectively assessed olfactory dysfunction reported normal olfactory function (57% of functionally anosmics reported normal function). In contrast, only 9% with objectively assessed normal olfactory function reported olfactory dysfunction. Conclusion: A large proportion of cognitively well-functioning middle-aged and elderly adults with an olfactory dysfunction are unaware of their dysfunction.The ENT physician who suspects that the sense of smell may be compromised should, in addition to an anamnesis, assess the patient's olfactory function objectively.
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| 3. |
- Wehling, Eike Ines, et al.
(författare)
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Familiarity, cued and free odoridentification and their association with cognitive functioning in middleaged and older adults
- 2010
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Ingår i: Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition. - : Psychology Press, Taylor and Francis Group. - 1382-5585 .- 1744-4128. ; 17:2, s. 205-219
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of the present study was to examine the association between familiarity of odors, cued and free odor identification performance and cognitive function in elderly adults. It was further investigated how age affects performance on the various odor tasks. A third aim was to investigate the role of familiarity in explaining performance on the free identification task. One hundred and thirty-six participants (aged 45–79 years) with normal olfactory sensitivity were assessed with the Scandinavian Odor Identification Test (SOIT) and standardized tests of cognitive function. Familiarity did not correlate with any measure of cognitive function, while verbal identification performance was associated with several cognitive measures, although correlations were modest. In this sample, free odor identification was affected by increasing age to a marginally larger extent than cued identification performance and familiarity ratings. The results suggest that the different olfactory tasks involve different levels of cognitive processing.
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| 4. |
- Wehling, Eike I., et al.
(författare)
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Longitudinal Changes in Familiarity, Free and Cued Odor Identification, and Edibility Judgments for Odors in Aging Individuals
- 2016
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Ingår i: Chemical Senses. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0379-864X .- 1464-3553. ; 41:2, s. 155-161
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This longitudinal study investigated changes in olfaction as assessed by a set of tasks requiring different aspects of semantic information in normal aging individuals. Using 16 odorous items from a standardized olfactory test, the Scandinavian Odor Identification Test, 107 middle aged and older adults were assessed up to three times over a period of 6.5 years, requesting them to rate familiarity and edibility for each odorous item before identifying it with or without presenting verbal cues. Using linear mixed models, the longitudinal analyses revealed significant correlations between all olfactory measures. Furthermore, we found an almost parallel age-related decline in all olfactory tasks, although free identification performance indicated a trend toward faster decline with age. Women showed less decline compared with men, in particular for edibility judgments. The results corroborate earlier cross-sectional findings showing significant correlations between the olfactory tasks. In the present study of healthy middle-aged and older adults, we found a parallel longitudinal decline across different tests of olfaction.
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| 5. |
- Wehling, Eike I., et al.
(författare)
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Longitudinal Changes in Odor Identification Performance and Neuropsychological Measures in Aging Individuals
- 2016
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Ingår i: Neuropsychology. - : American Psychological Association (APA). - 0894-4105 .- 1931-1559. ; 30:1, s. 87-97
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To examine changes in odor identification performance and cognitive measures in healthy aging individuals. While cross-sectional studies reveal associations between odor identification and measures of episodic memory, processing speed, and executive function, longitudinal studies so far have been ambiguous with regard to demonstrating that odor identification may be predictive of decline in cognitive function.Method: One hundred and 7 healthy aging individuals (average age 60.2 years, 71% women) were assessed with an odor identification test and nonolfactory cognitive measures of verbal episodic memory, mental processing speed, executive function, and language 3 times, covering a period of 6.5 years.Results: The cross-sectional results revealed odor identification performance to be associated with age, measures of verbal episodic memory, and processing speed. Using linear mixed models, the longitudinal analyses revealed age-associated decline in all measures. Controlling for retest effects, the analyses demonstrated that gender was a significant predictor for episodic memory and mental processing speed. Odor identification performance was further shown to be a significant predictor for episodic verbal memory.Conclusion: This study shows age-related decline in odor identification as well as nonolfactory cognitive measures. The finding showing that odor identification is a significant predictor for verbal episodic memory is of great clinical interest as odor identification has been suggested as a sensitive measure of incipient pathologic cognitive decline.
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| 6. |
- Wehling, Eike, et al.
(författare)
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Olfactory dysfunction in chronic stroke patients
- 2015
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Ingår i: BMC Neurology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2377. ; 15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The aim of the study was to investigate odor identification performance in patients one year after hospital admittance due to stroke. Predictors for olfactory dysfunction were investigated as well as self-reported olfactory function and pleasantness of olfactory items.Methods: A 1-year prospective study was performed. Stroke location, classification and comorbidities were registered at hospital admission. One year after admission, olfactory function was assessed using standardized olfactory methods (screening for loss of detection sensitivity and an odor identification test). A group of matched controls was derived from a population-based study to compare odor identification performance between groups. Patients were asked for their personal judgment regarding their olfactory function and pleasantness of odorous items. In addition, global cognitive function and symptoms of depression were assessed.Results: A total of 78 patients were enrolled (46 males, 32 females; mean age 68 years) of which 28.2 % exhibited reduced olfactory function (hyposmia) and 15.4 % exhibited loss of olfactory function (10.3 % functional anosmia, 5.1 % complete anosmia). Patients showed significantly lower olfactory performance compared to age- and sex-mated matched controls. Predictors of impaired olfactory function were age and NIHSS score. Self-reports indicated no significant differences between patients with normal olfactory function and those with reduced function. Yet, patients having an olfactory dysfunction rated odorous items as significantly less pleasant compared to patients without dysfunction.Conclusions: Olfactory dysfunction seems to occur frequently after stoke even one year after initial admission. The deficits seem to relate to hyposmia and functional anosmia, and less to a complete loss of smell sensitivity.
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| 7. |
- Wehling, Eike, et al.
(författare)
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Unawareness of olfactory dysfunction and its association with cognitive functioning in middle aged and old adults
- 2011
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Ingår i: Archives of clinical neuropsychology. - : Oxford University Press. - 0887-6177 .- 1873-5843. ; 26:3, s. 260-269
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The objective of this study was (a) to investigate the accordance of self-reported and objectively assessed olfactory functioning and (b) to compare performance on cognitive tests of individuals unaware of their olfactory dysfunction with individuals aware of their olfactory status. Two hundred forty participants, constituting two age groups, were evaluated with the Scandinavian Odor Identification Test, a question of self-evaluated olfactory function, tests of cognitive function, and a memory questionnaire. The proportion of individuals being unaware of an olfactory dysfunction was high in both middle aged (86%) and old (78%) participants. Performance on neuropsychological tests showed that persons unaware of their olfactory dysfunction performed poorer on tests of verbal learning and memory and attention/processing speed compared to individuals aware of a normal olfactory status as well as individuals aware of their olfactory dysfunction. The clinical relevance of unawareness of olfactory dysfunction, as suggested earlier, needs further investigation and stresses the need of an extensive multi-modal and longitudinal assessment of unawareness of sensory and cognitive function to learn more about the facets of the concept of unawareness.
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