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The aim of this study was to compare olfactory threshold, smell identification, intensity and pleasantness ratings between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls, and (2) to evaluate correlations between ratings of olfactory probes and illness characteristics. Thirty one patients with schizophrenia and 31 control subjects were assessed with the olfactory n-butanol threshold test, the Iran smell identification test (Ir-SIT), and the suprathreshold amyl acetate odor intensity and odor pleasantness rating test. All olfactory tasks were performed unirhinally.Patients with schizophrenia showed disrupted olfaction in all four measures. Longer duration of schizophrenia was associated with a larger impairment of olfactory threshold or microsmic range on the Ir-SIT (P = 0.04, P = 0.05, respectively). In patients with schizophrenia, female subjects’ ratings of pleasantness followed the same trend as control subjects, whereas male patients’ ratings showed an opposite trend. Patients exhibiting high positive score on the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) performed better on the olfactory threshold test (r = 0.37, P = 0.04). The higher odor pleasantness ratings of patients were associated with presence of positive symptoms.The results suggest that both male and female patients with schizophrenia had difficulties on the olfactory threshold and smell identification tests, but appraisal of odor pleasantness was more disrupted in male patients.

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The purpose of this study was the verification of the usefulness of the Persian version of the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) in patients with opioid use disorder /cigarette smokers undergoing methadone maintenance treatment. 354 patients with opioid use disorder / cigarette smokers at the Shafa Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences participated in this study and took the Persian version of the FTND. The gold standard was the nicotine dependence criteria of the DSM-5. By DSM-5, 92.1% of smokers were diagnosed as dependent, while only 64% were diagnosed as dependent by FTND. In confirmatory factor analysis of the FTND, our results showed the two-factor solution providing the best fit. Three and four items were loaded on Factor 1 and Factor 2, respectively. One item (time to first cigarette) was load on both factors. After rescoring item 4, model fit showed better absolute fit than original model (χ 2 /df=1.55, P=0.10). Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the FTND was 0.71. This study showed the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the FTND. Our results confirmed the usefulness of the FTND to identify individuals who have the greatest risk for disease and to assess of programs for smoking cessation.