title: New olfactometric findings in Parkinson's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate in Parkinson's disease-affected patients a correlation between hyposmia and gastrointestinal dysfunction and their possible identical etiopathogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  ENT and neurology departments (Gemelli Hospital, Rome, Italy).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 78 patients with diagnosis of PD according to the UK Brain Bank criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  informed consent and olfactory testing executed; exclusion criteria: signs of dementia according to the DSM-IV criteria; Mini Mental State Examination score ≤26; head trauma; central neurological disorders, nasal or systemic diseases potentially affecting olfactory function. Motor condition was assessed by means of Hoehn and Yahr staging and by section III of the Unified PD Rating Scale, performed off and on medications.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients underwent olfactory evaluation (TDI score), after rhinomanometry with nasal decongestion. A total of 25 non-motor symptoms were evaluated through an interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Olfactory dysfunction was objectively found in 91.0% of patients, a percentage higher than the subjective hyposmia reported (55.1%) P = 0.0001. Seven patients (9.0%) were normosmic, 49 (62.8%) hyposmic and 22 (28.2%) anosmic. Subjective hyposmia, constipation, bloating and dyspepsia differed across groups, being higher in anosmic and hyposmic ones than in the normosmic group. P value was ≤0.05 for each symptom. Despite the original results, this study has the limitation of being based on subjective ratings by a relatively limited group of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyposmia and gastrointestinal symptoms are correlated, and this would support a possible common origin; the CNS could be reached through two different pathways, both starting in the peripheral nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Passali
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bove
authors.affiliation: Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vargiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bentivoglio
authors.affiliation: Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anzivino
authors.affiliation: Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Corso
authors.affiliation: Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galli
authors.affiliation: Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rigante
authors.affiliation: Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pandolfini
authors.affiliation: Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sergi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.affiliation: Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, S. Camillo Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cianfrone
authors.affiliation: Institute of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paludetti
authors.affiliation: Movement Disorders Centre - Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fasano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D064367:Olfactometry; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies