Phantom Smells: Prevalence and Correlates in a Population-Based Sample of Older Adults.
Loss of olfactory function is common in old age, but evidence regarding qualitative olfactory dysfunction in the general older population is scarce. The current study investigates the prevalence and correlates of phantom smell experiences (phantosmia) in a population-based study (Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen [SNAC-K]) of Swedish adults (n = 2569) aged between 60 and 90 years. Phantosmia was assessed through a standardized interview and defined as reporting having experienced an odor percept in the absence of any stimuli in the surrounding environment that could emit the odor. The relationships between phantosmia and demographic, genetic, health-related, and behavioral variables were analyzed with hierarchical logistic regression analyses. The overall prevalence of phantom smells was 4.9%, and was associated with female gender, carrying the met allele of the BDNF gene, higher vascular risk burden, and reporting distorted smell sensations (parosmia). Olfactory dysfunction was, however, not related to phantosmia. The most frequently reported phantom smell was smoky/burnt. A novel finding was that some individuals reported phantom smells with an autobiographical connotation. The results from this study indicate that the prevalence of phantosmia in the general older population is not negligible and that some factors that are beneficial for preserved olfactory function, such as female gender and the BDNF met allele, are also associated with the occurrence of phantom smells.
Gösta Ekman's Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Frescati Hagväg 9 A, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
Sara
S
Sjölund
Gösta Ekman's Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Frescati Hagväg 9 A, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
Maria
M
Larsson
Gösta Ekman's Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Frescati Hagväg 9 A, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
Jonas K
JK
Olofsson
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychology Division, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 9, 17165 Stockholm, Sweden.|Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Gävlegatan 16, 11330 Stockholm, Sweden.
Janina
J
Seubert
Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Gävlegatan 16, 11330 Stockholm, Sweden.
Erika J
EJ
Laukka
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000483:Alleles; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D055696:Olfactory Perception; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
aging; genetic polymorphisms; hallucinations; olfactory perception; phantosmia; population based