Presentation Details
Cross-Cultural Evaluation of Olfactory Dysfunction: Insights from a Bilingual Longitudinal At-Home Smell Test

Alysa M.Alejandro Soto, Alefiya Albers, Colin Magdamo, Beyzanur Ergun, Andreas Runde, Mark Albers.

Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Abstract


Olfaction showcases a unique complexity compared to sensory systems like vision or audition, as it is intricately intertwined with cultural influences due to odor-specific exposure, familiarity, and association variations. To address these gaps, we have developed a bilingual longitudinal at-home smell test to study olfactory dysfunction and evaluate its cross-cultural validity by examining odor responses in a subgroup of Spanish-speaking participants recruited from Puerto Rico and comparing these results with English-speaking participants recruited across the United States. Study participants completed a 5-minute assessment of olfactory function once a week for 12 weeks, completing the sequence of 6 unique odor cards twice. Initial findings reveal no significant differences in average intensity ratings and accurate odor discrimination between groups for any of the 12 testing events. However, given our interest in the cultural generalizability or the cultural sensitivity to specific odors among language groups, we examined and compared odor-specific results on these measures of intensity and discrimination. Patterns of intensity ratings by card (odor 1, 2, and 3) show a remarkably characteristic shape whether the rater is an English or a Spanish speaker, suggesting that the groups are sensing and evaluating our panel of odors similarly. The impact of familiarity introduced by the second completion of the card produces a shift in the perception of intensity that is also surprisingly consistent within a card. With regards to the odor discrimination task, Spanish speakers demonstrate better discrimination of the dirt odor (84% accuracy) than English speakers (71% accuracy). Our results emphasize the importance of examining odor-specific data in this manner to build a culturally sensitive test.

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