Ratings of different olfactory judgements in schizophrenia.
We assessed the influence of schizophrenia on different olfactory tasks. Forty patients with schizophrenia (20 males and 20 females) and 40 control subjects (20 males and 20 females) were tested. The experiment included two sessions. Initially, 12 odorants were presented at a rate of one per minute. The subjects were asked to rate intensity, pleasantness, familiarity and edibility for each odour using linear rating scales. The odorants were then presented a second time and the subjects were asked to identify them. The results showed that the scores for pleasantness, familiarity, edibility and identification but not intensity were disturbed in patients when compared with control subjects. Furthermore, the familiarity judgement of male patients was more often deficient than that of female patients and they rated odorants as being inedible when the women judged them as neutral. Considered together, these data show that our olfactory test may be used in patients with schizophrenia for evidencing various dysfunctions specific to different types of olfactory processing that represent steps in the odour name identification process.
Hudry
Julie
J
Neuroscience and Sensory Systems, Claude-Bernard University (UMR CNRS 5020), 50, Avenue Tony Garnier, F-69007 Lyon Cedex 07, France. hudry@olfac.univ-lyon1.fr
Saoud
Mohamed
M
D'Amato
Thierry
T
Daléry
Jean
J
Royet
Jean-Pierre
JP
D000328:Adult; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015981:Epidemiologic Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010465:Perception; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology