title: Patient adjustment to reduced olfactory function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the importance of olfaction in daily life between patients with olfactory disorders and healthy normosmic individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasiexperimental.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 470 individuals (235 anosmic or hyposmic patients and 235 normosmic control individuals).
  
  
  METHODS
  The Individual Importance of Olfaction Questionnaire (IO) and olfactory testing using the "Sniffin' Sticks" test kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The IO scores were lower in people with smell disorders compared with normosmic subjects (P < .001) and lower in patients with anosmia compared with hyposmic patients (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These scores suggest adjustment processes in the daily use of the sense of smell by patients. Patients attach less importance to their current sense of smell in daily life than do normosmic individuals. This adjustment might be an example of regaining psychological health despite acquired and long-lasting impairments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Dresden Medical School, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany. ilona.croy@tu-dresden.de
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Croy
authors.forename: Basile N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Landis
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meusel
authors.forename: Han-Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Krone
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hummel
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D013997:Time Factors