Development of a Portuguese smell test: A novel hospital compounding formulation to improve diagnosis of olfactory dysfunction

Abstract

About half of the population aged over 60 years mention they have an olfactory dysfunction. However, the diagnosis is challenging since the identification of odors is personal and cultural, conditioning the selection of effective olfactory tests. This study aimed to identify typical odors recognized by the Portuguese population in order to develop and characterize a smell test kit adapted to this specific population to be used to diagnose olfactory dysfunctions. For this, a national cross‐sectional survey with 348 healthy participants, allowed the identification of 22 characteristic odors for Portuguese population. The orange odor was chosen by 56% of the individuals that answered the survey and this fragrance was selected for pre‐formulation studies. Then, polyethylene glycol (PEG)‐based formulations were developed and characterized. It was observed that the type and amount of PEG and fragrances influenced the rheology, morphology, texture and crystalline structures of the formulations. Based on the results obtained, structure characterization and sensorial analysis responses, compounding and processing, a formulation was selected. Then, the kit was assembled with 22 fragrance PEG‐based formulations and one odorless (control). Practical application This study aimed to identify 22 odors among different categories recognizable by the Portuguese population in order to develop a suitable smell test kit to diagnose olfactory dysfunctions of this specific population. This Portuguese smell test, for containing formulations with rheological and sensory characteristics adapted to the Portuguese population, allows the physician to use it as a method of diagnosis in patients with suspected impaired olfactory perception, such as anosmia total or partial. Nowadays, this kit is being used in otorhinolaryngology medical consultation of the hospital involved in the study to diagnose olfactory disorders.

Enhancing Odor Analysis with Gas Chromatography–Olfactometry (GC-O): Recent Breakthroughs and Challenges

“…Individuals may have difficulty detecting certain odors, which can impact their ability to accurately rank or identify the intensities of different odors using techniques. 139,140 In 2001, Friedrich, Acree, and Lavin introduced a standardized set of chemicals designed specifically to detect partial anosmia using GC-O. 140 Their approach involved creating a comprehensive collection of odorants with equal potency, covering a range of scent categories to effectively stimulate all olfactory receptor proteins.…”

“…Partial anosmia, which refers to a reduced ability to detect certain odors, is a crucial consideration in ensuring that assessors possess the necessary olfactory sensitivity for accurate GC-O evaluations. Individuals may have difficulty detecting certain odors, which can impact their ability to accurately rank or identify the intensities of different odors using techniques. , …”

Development of an olfactory test method for measuring perception of everyday food odors among older adults

“…Common for all the test methods is that they were developed for clinical purposes, to detect deficits in olfactory function. Since 2003 another eight tests has been developed, primarily to accommodate cultural differences (Cardesín et al, 2006;Chaves et al, 2020;Hedner, Larsson, Arnold, Zucco, & Hummel, 2010;Kobayashi, Reiter, DiNardo, & Costanzo, 2007;Liu et al, 2020;Maremmani et al, 2012). The Qsticks (Bagnasco et al, 2021) method was developed to detect smell disorders in COVID-19 patients, while the B-SITC test (Cao, Wang, Zheng, Gu, & Chan, 2020), a modified version of the B-SIT test, was developed for a more valid and reliable detection of olfactory deficits in Chinese Parkinsons disease patients.…”