Cited by 142Olfactory and Sensory Function StudiesBiochemical Analysis and Sensing TechniquesAdvanced Chemical Sensor Technologies

Gustatory and olfactory dysfunction in older adults: a national probability study

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Boesveldt, S., Lindau, S.T., McClintock, M.K., Hummel, T., Lundstrom, J.N.·2011·Rhinology journal

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Olfactory and gustatory functions have not been well characterized in older adults in the US. Consequently, their relationships to sociodemographic characteristics, as well as physical and mental health, were studied in a large national probability sample using brief validated tests of chemosensory function. METHODS: A five-odour identification test and taste-impregnated strips of filter paper (sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) assessed the ability to identify chemosensory stimuli. RESULTS: Severe gustatory dysfunction was more prevalent than severe olfactory dysfunction. Age, education and sex were independently associated with performance on both the olfactory and gustatory identification tasks. Higher scores were associated with female sex, higher level of education, and lower age. Odour identification scores exhibited a positive, albeit weak, correlation with BMI, and food-related odours were better identified than non-food odours. In addition, odour identification performance was also negatively associated with depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate a high prevalence of severe gustatory and, to a somewhat lesser extent, olfactory dysfunction in a population-based sample and demonstrate that even brief tests are capable of detecting correlations between both chemical senses and relevant health measures outside a clinical setting.

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Crossref · 10.4193/rhino10.155

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  • The NSHAP found the prevalence of severe gustatory impairment to be 14.8% (women 10.2%, men 19.2%).

    “The NSHAP found the prevalence of severe gustatory impairment (defined as correct identification of ≤1 of the four flavors: sour, bitter, sweet, salty, presented in that order) to be 14.8% (women 10.2%, men 19.2%) (Boesveldt et al., 2011).”

    From Design Principles to Accommodate Older Adults (2012) · cites this paper as Boesveldt et al., 2011

    The Methods (Data analysis; Gustatory function testing, page unavailable) support the definition of severe impairment as identifying no more than one of four tastes and confirm the stated presentation order. The Results (Gustatory performance, page unavailable) report 14.8% overall and 10.2% for women, but 19.7% for men—not the cited 19.2%. (LLM, conf=0.94)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The ability to perceive sweetness was preserved to the greatest degree, being correctly identified by 86.7% of subjects, whereas sour taste was correctly identified by only 39.4% of subjects.

    “The ability to perceive sweetness was preserved to the greatest degree, being correctly identified by 86.7% of subjects, whereas sour taste was correctly identified by only 39.4% of subjects.”

    From Design Principles to Accommodate Older Adults (2012) · cites this paper as Boesveldt et al., 2011

    The Results section (Gustatory performance; page not provided) says sweet was identified correctly most often and sour least often. It reports 86.8% for sweet, not the claimed 86.7%; the 39.4% figure for sour matches. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Odor identification declined with age in both sexes; peppermint odor was correctly identified most often (91.6%) and leather least often (70.5%).

    “Odor identification declined with age in both sexes; peppermint odor was correctly identified most often (91.6%) and leather least often (70.5%).”

    From Design Principles to Accommodate Older Adults (2012) · cites this paper as Boesveldt et al., 2011

  • The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) found the prevalence of severe olfactory dysfunction to be 2.7% (women, 2.2%, men, 3.2%).

    “The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP), a US population-based study of community-dwelling older adults aged 57 to 85, found the prevalence of severe olfactory dysfunction (defined as correctly identifying ≤ 1 of 5 odorants: rose, leather, orange, fish, peppermint) to be 2.7% (women, 2.2%, men, 3.2%) (Boesveldt, Lindau, McClintock, Hummel, & Lundstrom, 2011).”

    From Design Principles to Accommodate Older Adults (2012) · cites this paper as Boesveldt, Lindau, McClintock, Hummel, & Lundstrom, 2011

  • The sense of taste is also depressed in older adults.

    “The sense of taste is also depressed in older adults.”

    From Design Principles to Accommodate Older Adults (2012) · cites this paper as Boesveldt et al., 2011

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Cites

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7 of the 47 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. [7]Schreder T Albrecht J Kleemann AM Olfactory performance of patients with anorexia nervosa and healthy subjects in hunger and satiety Rhinology 2008 46 175 183 18853867
  2. [9]Doty RL Deems DA Stellar S Olfactory dysfunction in parkinsonism: A general deficit unrelated to neurologic signs, disease stage, or disease duration Neurology 1988 38 1237 1244 3399075
  3. [17]Mueller C Kallert S Renner B Quantitative assessment of gustatory function in a clinical context using impregnated „taste strips“ Rhinology 2003 41 2 6 12677732
  4. [38]Larsson M Rouby C Schaal B Dubois D Gervais R Holley A Odour memory: A memory systems approach Olfaction, taste, and cognition 2002 Cambridge Cambridge University Press, UK 231 245

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Authors
Boesveldt, S., Lindau, S. T., McClintock, M. K., Hummel, T., & Lundstrom, J. N.
Affiliations
  • Monell Chemical Senses Center (US)
  • University of Chicago (US)
Venue
Rhinology journal
Published
2011-08-01
Volume
49
Issue
3
Pages
324-330
ISSN
0300-0729 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1604682220
Cited by
142
References
47
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 5
FWCI
2.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Rhinology Journal (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (acceptedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Aging (R01AG021487)
  • Office of AIDS Research
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies
Keywords
gustatory dysfunction, olfactory dysfunction, older adults, chemosensory function, odor identification, taste identification, prevalence, sociodemographic factors, depressive symptoms, body mass index, sex differences
MeSH terms
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Olfaction Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Health Status, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Regression Analysis, Taste Disorders, Comorbidity, Body Mass Index, Prevalence

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