Digitizing Olfactory Assessment in Portugal: Pilot Clinical Application of a Digital Odor Identification Test.

Abstract

Introduction: Current methods for olfactory assessment are often time-consuming and necessitate the involvement of an examiner for both administration and documentation of responses. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of a novel digital olfactory device, the MultiScent-20 odor identification test (MultiScent-IT), in distinguishing individuals with olfactory dysfunction from those with normal olfactory function.

Materials and methods: The work was conducted and reported in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement for case-control studies. The test was administered to individuals with olfactory dysfunction (cases) and normosmic volunteers (controls), who were classified using the Sniffin' Sticks threshold test.

Results: A statistically significant difference was observed in the total test scores between cases (9.6 ± 4.5) and controls (13.2 ± 1.9), p = 0.01. The test performance, defined as (total score/total time) × 100, was significantly lower in cases (1.9 ± 1.4) compared to controls (3.2 ± 1), p = 0.016. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.749, indicating a fair to good ability of the MultiScent-IT to discriminate between the groups. A MultiScent-IT score below 10 demonstrated perfect sensitivity (100%) in detecting olfactory dysfunction. Significant correlations were identified between the MultiScent-IT score and the Sniffin' Sticks threshold score (p = 0.009, r = 0.524), as well as the Portuguese version of the Olfactory Disorders Questionnaire (PT-ODQ) score (p = 0.013, r = -0.423).

Conclusion: MultiScent-IT is a promising tool for differentiating between individuals with and without olfactory dysfunction in clinical settings.