Undetected Olfactory Loss Has No Major Impact On Your Functioning

• Embargoed until April 14th, 2019
  
  Media Contact: Dr. Thomas Mast, Chair, Public Information and Affairs Committee; email: [email protected]. Before April 14th and after 17th April: Phone 734 487 6916; April 14th–17th, 2019, Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa, Bonita Springs, FL; Phone +1 850 212 7072.

The olfactory loss in people who do not complain about it or seek treatment in ENT clinics has no major impact on their cognitive, emotional and health functioning.

The study assessed consequences of olfactory loss in people who have limited-to-no perception of odors but do not complain about it or seek treatment. Two-hundred-three subjects enrolled for a study with a clear precondition of good sense of smell. Sixty-three had disrupted perception of odors. Their results in cognitive tests, health assessments and depressive symptoms questionnaire were not very different from the results of people with the normal sense of smell. Olfactory loss certainly has severe impact on daily life but more so in individuals who are bothered with it and decide to seek treatment. (contact: Anna Oleszkiewicz, [email protected]; +48 502 054 092).

Authors: Anna Oleszkiewicz, Ilona Croy, Valentin Schriever, Antje Haehner, Thomas Hummel

The poster presentation “Presence of undetected olfactory loss in the general population - based on a large sample of 9139 subjects” (#P238) takes place Monday April 15th, 9:00-11:00 pm ET in the Estero Ballroom