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Le Nez du Vin--a quick test of olfaction
1Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK.
Clinical Otolaryngology and Allied Sciences
|June 1, 1996
Summary
A new smell identification test, derived from a wine kit, is quick and inexpensive. It accurately differentiates between normal and reduced sense of smell, correlating well with a standard test.
Area of Science:
- Olfactory research
- Sensory science
- Medical diagnostics
Background:
- A need exists for accessible and affordable smell identification tests.
- Current tests may be time-consuming or costly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a novel, cost-effective olfactory test.
- To evaluate its efficacy in distinguishing olfactory function levels.
Main Methods:
- A six-odor, multiple-choice smell test was developed from the Le Nez du Vin kit.
- 132 subjects completed the test; a subset also took the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT).
Main Results:
- Subjects correctly identified a mean of 5.28 odors.
- A significant difference was found between self-reported normal (5.52) and hyposmic (4.76) smellers (P < 0.001).
- The new test showed good correlation (r = 0.79) with the UPSIT.
Conclusions:
- The Le Nez du Vin-derived test is a viable tool for assessing smell identification.
- It effectively differentiates between varying degrees of olfactory function.
- This test offers a practical alternative for smell assessment.