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Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants
Published on: September 18, 2018
Normative performance on the Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT) in a multi-ethnic bilingual cohort: a Project
Chloe Menon1, Holly James Westervelt, Danielle R Jahn
1Department of Psychology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA.
The Clinical Neuropsychologist
|May 3, 2013
Summary
The Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT) provides normative data for older adults. BSIT scores need adjustment for age and gender, but not education, ethnicity, or language, making it suitable for diverse populations.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Olfactory dysfunction is common in older adults.
- Normative data and sociodemographic impacts on the Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT) are limited.
- Assessing smell identification is crucial for cognitive health in aging populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present normative data for the BSIT in a diverse sample of older adults.
- To investigate the influence of sociodemographic factors on BSIT performance.
- To identify BSIT items that best discriminate olfactory functioning levels using Rasch analysis.
Main Methods:
- Collected data from 302 older adults in Project FRONTIER.
- Utilized hierarchical regression analyses to assess sociodemographic influences.
- Performed Rasch analysis to evaluate BSIT item performance.
Main Results:
- BSIT scores were significantly influenced by age and gender, but not education, ethnicity, or language.
- Four BSIT items demonstrated strong discrimination between olfactory functioning levels.
- The selected items did not form a continuum of difficulty.
Conclusions:
- The BSIT is a viable tool for assessing olfactory deficits in diverse older adults.
- Age and gender adjustments are necessary for accurate BSIT interpretation.
- Refinements to BSIT items may enhance its psychometric properties for clinical and research use.
