Age-related differences in olfactory training outcomes: A prospective cohort study

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Neuroscience
• Aging Research

Background:

• Olfactory function naturally declines with age.
• The efficacy of olfactory training (OT) in older adults with olfactory dysfunction (OD) remains understudied.
• This study investigates age-related differences in OT effectiveness, particularly in individuals with post-COVID-19 OD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of olfactory training (OT) in younger (≤50 years) versus older (51+ years) adults with olfactory dysfunction (OD).
• To assess olfactory function recovery and quality of life improvements following a 6-month OT program.
• To identify potential age-related differences in the timeline of olfactory recovery and subjective symptom improvement.

Main Methods:

• Prospective enrollment of 56 participants with post-COVID-19 OD into an OT registry.
• Standardized home-based OT program completed twice daily for 6 months.
• Olfactory testing (AROMA) and quality-of-life surveys (SNOT-22, QoD-NS) at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months.

Main Results:

• Both younger and older cohorts showed significant olfactory function improvement (AROMA scores) after 3 months of OT.
• No significant differences were observed between cohorts in AROMA, QoD-NS, or SNOT-22 scores at any time point.
• Younger participants reported earlier improvements in quality-of-life measures (QoD-NS, SNOT-22) by 3 months, while older participants showed improvement between 3 and 6 months.

Conclusions:

• Olfactory training (OT) is an effective intervention for improving olfactory function in both younger and older adults with post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction (OD).
• While objective olfactory improvements occur similarly by 3 months, the subjective experience of recovery and quality-of-life improvements manifests earlier in younger individuals.
• Age does not impede overall OT efficacy but may influence the timing of subjective symptom resolution.