title: Olfactory Function Assessment of Blind Subjects Using the Sniffin' Sticks Test.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In recent years, a growing number of studies have focused on the olfactory abilities of blind individuals as well as their tactile and auditory senses. In this study, we aimed to investigate possible alterations in the sense of smell in early- and late-blind subjects as compared with sighted controls, using a Sniffin' Sticks test battery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 66 subjects were included in the study. The subjects were divided into 2 groups: blind subjects-who were then subgrouped as subjects with congenital blindness (n = 17) and those with acquired blindness (n = 16)-and sighted subjects (n = 33). We compared both congenitally and acquired blind subjects with sighted counterparts using the Sniffin' Sticks test for odor threshold, odor discrimination, odor identification, and total odor scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The blind subjects were more successful than their sighted counterparts in odor discrimination and odor threshold tasks. There was no statistically significant difference between the blind participants and the sighted individuals in terms of odor identification value. Another important finding was that the difference between individuals with congenital blindness and those with acquired blindness was not significant in any of the parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This finding may suggest that odor discrimination and odor threshold in blind people were superior to those of controls. There was no difference in any of the results of tasks among congenital and acquired blind subjects.
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of ORL, Istanbul, Turkey drcomoglu@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Şenol
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Çomoğlu
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of ORL, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kadir Serkan
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Orhan
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of ORL, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selin Ünsaler
authors.initials: SÜ
authors.lastname: Kocaman
authors.affiliation: Serafettin Sabuncuoglu Educational and Research Hospital, Department of ORL, Amasya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Çelik
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of ORL, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nesil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Keleş
authors.affiliation: Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Department of ORL, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Değer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001766:Blindness / Q000151:congenital / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D020711:Threshold Limit Values
keywords: blind; discrimination; identification; smell; threshold