Normative data for olfactory threshold and odor identification in children and adolescents
Janine Gellrich1, Lisa-Marie Sparing-Paschke2, Theresa Thieme1
1Abteilung für Neuropädiatrie, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität, Dresden, Germany.
Summary
This study provides olfactory testing norms for children and adolescents. Girls showed better odor identification, and younger children had lower scores, establishing benchmarks for assessing smell in youth.
Area of Science:
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Olfactory testing in children is feasible but lacks large-scale normative data.
- Previous studies used "Sniffin' Sticks" and "U-Sniff" tests, but normative values are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normative data for olfactory assessment in a large sample of healthy children and adolescents.
- To provide reference values for olfactory threshold (THR) and odor identification (ID) tests.
Main Methods:
- Conducted olfactory testing on 490 children and adolescents aged 6-17 years.
- Utilized the "Sniffin' Sticks" THR test and the 12-item "U-Sniff" ID test.
- Analyzed data by age groups (6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-17 years) and sex.
Main Results:
- No significant influence of sex or age on olfactory threshold (THR).
- Girls demonstrated superior odor identification (ID) compared to boys.
- The youngest age group (6-8 years) scored lower on odor identification.
- Normative values (10th percentile) were established for THR and ID across age groups.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully generated normative data for olfactory assessment in children and adolescents.
- These data enable the distinction between normosmia and reduced sense of smell using threshold and identification tests.
- The findings provide essential benchmarks for clinical and research applications in pediatric olfaction.
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