title: Changes of olfactory abilities in relation to age: odor identification in more than 1400 people aged 4 to 80 years.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany, sorokowska@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sorokowska
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Schriever
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gudziol
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hähner
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iannilli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sinding
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Negoias
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hummel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D055696:Olfactory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D046709:Pattern Recognition, Physiological; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*