Differences in olfactory dysfunction and its relationship with cognitive function in schizophrenia patients with and...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Olfactory discrimination dysfunction is noted in schizophrenia (SCZ).
• The link between olfactory deficits and cognitive function in SCZ, particularly concerning auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs), remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate olfactory identification function in SCZ patients with and without AVHs.
• To explore the relationship between olfactory identification and cognitive function across SCZ subgroups.

Main Methods:

• Olfactory identification assessed using the Olfactory Stick Identification Test for Japanese (OSIT-J).
• Evaluated 80 SCZ patients with AVHs, 57 SCZ patients without AVHs, and 87 healthy controls (HC).
• Clinical symptoms and neuropsychological measures were recorded.

Main Results:

• SCZ patients demonstrated significant deficits in olfactory identification and cognitive function compared to HC.
• No significant differences in olfactory or cognitive dysfunction were found between SCZ subgroups with and without AVHs.
• In the non-AVHs group, poorer OSIT-J scores correlated positively with total and delayed recall (p < 0.002).

Conclusions:

• Olfactory identification dysfunction is common in SCZ patients.
• Factors influencing olfactory impairment differ between SCZ subgroups.
• Olfactory assessment is crucial for understanding diverse SCZ patient presentations.