title: Reference values of olfactory function for Mexico City inhabitants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Olfactory testing is useful in the differential diagnosis of age-related pathologies. To provide baseline reference values for clinical use in Mexico City we investigated the relation between olfactory capabilities and the principal population parameters of age, sex, and smoking habits in a large sample of healthy inhabitants.
  
  
  METHODS
  We applied the internationally recognized and commercially available Sniffin' Sticks test battery to 916 men and women from across the adult life span. The Sniffin' Sticks test evaluates three key aspects of olfactory function: 1) ability to detect an odor, 2) to discriminate between odors, and 3) to identify odors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant decline in olfactory function from the 5th decade of age, and that detection threshold was the most sensitive measure of this. We did not find a significant difference between men and women or between smokers and non-smokers. In confirmation of our previous studies of the negative effect of air pollution on olfactory function, Mexico City inhabitants had poorer overall performance than corresponding subjects previously tested in the neighboring but less polluted Mexican state of Tlaxcala.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although we basically confirm findings on general demographic patterns of olfactory performance from other countries, we also demonstrate the need to take into account local cultural, environmental and demographic factors in the clinical evaluation of olfactory performance of Mexico City inhabitants. The Sniffin' Sticks test battery, with some adjustment of stimuli to correspond to Mexican culture, provides an easily administered means of assessing olfactory health.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuropatología Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM, México, D.F., Mexico; Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM, México, D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guarneros
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM, México, D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuropatología Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM, México, D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López-Palacios
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuropatología Molecular, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México UNAM, México, D.F., Mexico. Electronic address: drucker@servidor.unam.mx.
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drucker-Colín
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009812:Odorants; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Age; Mexico City; Olfactory function; Sex; Smoking; Sniffin' Sticks test