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Published on: January 28, 2009
Development of a test to evaluate olfactory function in a pediatric population
Pamela Dalton1, Julie A Mennella, Christopher Maute
1Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. pdalton@pobox.upenn.edu
Insights
Children as young as three can perform olfactory testing, with accuracy improving with age. The National Institutes of Health Toolbox Odor Identification Test is suitable for pediatric olfactory function evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Sensory Science
Background:
- Olfactory function is crucial for development and well-being.
- Assessing olfactory abilities in children is important for early detection of potential health issues.
- Existing olfactory tests may not be suitable for young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the suitability of two versions of an olfactory function test for pediatric use.
- To determine the feasibility and accuracy of olfactory testing in children aged 3-17 years.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional cohort study involving 369 children (3-17 years) and 277 adults in Phase 1.
- A revised 8-odor version was tested on 50 children (3-4 years) and 43 adults in Phase 2.
- Utilized a scratch-and-sniff odor identification test with familiarity and identification judgments.
Main Results:
- Completion time and accuracy improved with age in Phase 1.
- Children aged 5+ showed adult-level accuracy for the best odors.
- Phase 2 showed improved adult accuracy (92% vs. 68%) and higher accuracy in 3- and 4-year-olds compared to Phase 1.
Conclusions:
- Children as young as 3 can perform olfactory tests, though younger children take longer.
- Identification accuracy is age-dependent.
- The National Institutes of Health Toolbox Odor Identification Test is a viable tool for pediatric olfactory assessment, pending normative data collection.
Objectives/Hypothesis:
This study evaluated two versions of a test for olfactory function to determine suitability for use in a pediatric population.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional cohort study.
Methods:
In phase 1, 369 children (ages 3-17 years) and 277 adults (parents) were tested. Children began with identification and familiarity judgments to pictures representing target odors and distractors. Odors were administered via a six-item scratch and sniff test. Each answer sheet contained the correct odor source and three distractors. In phase 2, 50 children (ages 3-4 years) and 43 adults were given a revised version with eight odors judged more representative of the source and familiar to children.
Results:
Both completion time and identification accuracy in phase 1 improved with age. Accuracy of children 5 years old and above equaled adults for two of the three best odors. In phase 2, adults' accuracy significantly improved relative to phase 1 (92% vs. 68%), and exceeded that of 4 year olds for four of eight odors and 3 year olds for seven of eight odors.
Conclusions:
Children as young as 3 years of age can perform olfactory testing, but take longer than do older children and adults (7.44 vs. 5.66 vs. 3.71 minutes). Identification accuracy also increases as a function of age. The current six-item National Institutes of Health Toolbox Odor Identification Test is a brief, easily conducted test for evaluating olfactory ability. Collection of normative data for children of all ages and adults is needed to determine the clinical utility of the test and its interpretations for pathological conditions.
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