PurposeTo provide up-to-date and detailed normative data based on a large-scale sample, increasing diagnostic validity by reference to narrow age groups as previous normative values were based upon smaller sample sizes—especially in the group of older subjects.MethodData were obtained from 9139 healthy subjects (4928 females aged 5–96 years and 4211 males aged 5–91 years). The standard “Sniffin’ Sticks” test was applied, comprising threshold (T), discrimination (D) and identification (I) subtests, and yielding a TDI sum score.ResultsHyposmia was established at a TDI score of less than 30.75. Age-related changes were found in each domain, most pronounced for thresholds. Individuals aged 20–30 years performed best, whereas children below the age of 10 and adults above the age of 71 scored only half as well. Sex-related differences were in favor of women.ConclusionsData provide guidance for assessing individual olfactory performance in relation to specific age groups. Significant gender and age effects were observed, with a most pronounced increase of olfactory test scores between age 5 through 20 years and a dramatic decrease at the age of 60 through 71 years.

The currently presented large dataset (n = 1,422) consists of results that have been assembled over the last 8 years at science fairs using the 16-item odor identification part of the “Sniffin’ Sticks”. In this context, the focus was on olfactory function in children; in addition before testing, we asked participants to rate their olfactory abilities and the patency of the nasal airways. We reinvestigated some simple questions, e.g., differences in olfactory odor identification abilities in relation to age, sex, self-ratings of olfactory function and nasal patency. Three major results evolved: first, consistent with previously published reports, we found that identification scores of the youngest and the oldest participants were lower than the scores obtained by people aged 20–60. Second, we observed an age-related increase in the olfactory abilities of children. Moreover, the self-assessed olfactory abilities were related to actual performance in the smell test, but only in adults, and self-assessed nasal patency was not related to the “Sniffin’ Sticks” identification score.

The U-Sniff is a valid and reliable method of testing olfaction in children and can be used internationally.

Olfactory dysfunction is a frequent symptom of nasal and sinunasal disease. Many of these patients undergo nasal sinus or nasal septum surgery. In this study, we evaluated the benefit of nasal surgery on olfactory function over a period of 12 months. Patients included in this study underwent either nasal sinus or nasal septum surgery. All patients were tested for olfactory function using the "Sniffin' sticks" 16 item odor identification test. In addition, patients were asked to rate their nasal patency as well as their olfactory function at each visit. 157 patients were tested 3.5 months after surgery and 52 patients were tested again 12 months after surgery. Olfactory function improved significantly 3.5 months after surgery in patients, who received nasal sinus surgery; no significant increase was found in patients treated with nasal septum surgery. At the 12-month follow-up, the increase in olfactory function over all patients just missed statistical significance. Individually, however, 19% of the patients exhibited improvement after 3.5 months and 17% after 12 months. These numbers increased in patients with rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, who exhibited improvement of 30% after 3.5 months, and 32% after 12 months. Nasal sinus surgery produced an increase in measured olfactory function, but not nasal septum surgery. This increase appeared to be stable over the examined period of 12 months.

3b. Laryngoscope, 128:1531-1536, 2018.