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Updated: Aug 10, 2026
Simple and Computer-assisted Olfactory Testing for Mice
Published on: June 15, 2015
A new procedure for the short screening of olfactory function using five items from the "Sniffin' Sticks"
Christian Mueller1, Bertold Renner
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medical University of Vienna, AKH Wien, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Wien, Austria. chr.mue@gmx.at
Background:
The aim of this study was to create a new protocol based on the "Sniffin' Sticks" test kit, which would be suitablefor short screening of olfactory function.
Methods:
One hundred forty-one subjects were included in the investigation. In a first session, 106 subjects were presented five odorants together with a list of 20 descriptors. Additional choices were "no odor" and "undefinable". The established 16-item identification test was then performed to assess olfactory function. In another session, the new procedure was repeated on 21 subjects to check the test-retest reliability. The Brief Smell Identification Test was used together with the five-item test in an additional 35 subjects for additional validation.
Results:
The correlation coefficients between the results of the new test and the established procedures were r106 = 0.61 and r35 = 0.77 (p < 0.01). The new test procedure revealed two groups of subjects (score of 0 and scores 4 or 5). These groups had no overlapping results in the established odor identification tests. Repeated measurements of the short test showed a correlation coefficient of r21 = 0.77 (p < 0.01).
Conclusion:
The present data indicate the usefulness of the short screening test. Given a maximum of one error, the test is able to confirm the presence of normosmia or mild hyposmia. The kit can be carried in a pocket and the test takes only 3 minutes to perform.
