A novel olfactory sorting task.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Developing accessible tools for olfactory function assessment is crucial for early detection of smell disorders.
• Existing methods for testing olfactory function can be time-consuming and require clinical settings.
• Self-administered tests offer a convenient alternative for repeated monitoring of olfactory health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a simple, self-administered screening tool for odor memory and olfactory function.
• To assess the reliability and validity of the Novel Olfactory Sorting Task (NOST).
• To evaluate the NOST's ability to distinguish between individuals with and without olfactory dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• 110 participants (30 male, 80 female) were recruited, including healthy volunteers and patients with olfactory dysfunction.
• Olfactory function was assessed using the extended Sniffin' Sticks test (SST) and the Novel Olfactory Sorting Task (NOST).
• The NOST involves sorting 12 matching pairs of odors, assessing both olfactory and cognitive abilities, with a retest conducted within 14 days for reliability.

Main Results:

• The NOST showed acceptable test-retest reliability and satisfactory validity, correlating positively with the SST.
• Age significantly impacted olfactory function, consistent with prior research.
• A NOST score of 5.5 demonstrated 76.2% sensitivity and 77.6% specificity in differentiating severe hyposmia/anosmia from normosmia.

Conclusions:

• The Novel Olfactory Sorting Task (NOST) is a reliable and valid screening tool for olfactory and cognitive functions.
• The NOST is easy to comprehend and perform, making it suitable for self-administration at home.
• This tool provides a quick and simple method for global estimation of olfactory and cognitive function, with potential clinical utility.