A new clinical olfactory function test - Cross-cultural influence

Objective: To investigate whether a new clinical olfactory test, the Odor Stick Identification Test for Japanese (OSIT-J), can be used to assess olfactory function cross-culturally in a US patient population. Design: Cross-sectional prospective study. Setting: A university medical center otolaryngology clinic. Patients: Fifty US patients presenting with complaints of olfactory dysfunction from December 2004 to January, 2006. Interventions: Olfactory testing and patient interview. Main Outcome Measures: Comparison of test results obtained with the OSIT-J, the Connecticut Chemosensor), Clinical Research Center (CCCR) olfactory function test, and patients' self-reported level of olfactory function. Patients' opinions regarding the 2 test methods were also recorded. Results: The mean +/- SD time required to administer the OSIT-J (8 +/- 1 minutes) was shorter than that required for the standard CCCRC test (21 +/- 6 minutes). Significant Spearman rank correlations were found between the OSIT-J and CCCRC test scores (r(s)=0.80, P<.001, n=50), and patients' self-reported level of olfactory function (r(s)=0.73, P<.001, n=50). Although 3 of the 13 odors used in the OSIT-J were not familiar to US subjects, patients reported that the OSIT-J was easier, more interesting, and the odors used more pleasant than the CCCRC test. Conclusions: Olfactory function tests developed in different countries should be evaluated to determine if a cross-cultural bias exists among test odorants. Although a cultural bias was detected for a few odorants, this study demonstrates that a modified version of the OSIT-J can be used to assess olfactory function in US patients.