Longitudinal analysis of olfactory deficits in HIV infection.

The presence and degree of odor identification deficits in 55 HIV-infected (30 asymptomatic, 25 symptomatic) and 29 HIV-negative at-risk control volunteers were examined longitudinally using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). Factors other than HIV infection that could account for olfactory loss (i.e., sinusitis or upper respiratory infection) were also considered by obtaining MRI scans of the nasal passages and information from an olfaction questionnaire. No differences were found among groups at the first administration of the UPSIT, with significant differences among groups emerging at the 1-year and 2-year follow-ups. The symptomatic group showed a significant decline in odor identification scores across time, while means for the asymptomatic and control groups remained stable. The presence of sinusitis or an upper respiratory infection appeared to have no effect on odor identification. The implications for these findings in relationship to cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases are discussed.

[1]  T. Davidson,et al.  The rhinologic evaluation of alzheimer's disease , 1991, The Laryngoscope.

[2]  Richard L. Doty,et al.  The Human Sense of Smell , 2011, Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

[3]  P. Kvale,et al.  Respiratory illness in persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection. The Pulmonary Complications of HIV Infection Study Group. , 1993, The American review of respiratory disease.

[4]  M. Serby,et al.  The nature and course of olfactory deficits in Alzheimer's disease. , 1991, The American journal of psychiatry.

[5]  E. Godofsky,et al.  Sinusitis in HIV-infected patients: a clinical and radiographic review. , 1992, The American journal of medicine.

[6]  R. Settipane,et al.  Allergic rhinitis , 2005, Rhinology and Anterior Skull Base Surgery.

[7]  D. Perl,et al.  Olfactory dysfunction in three neurodegenerative diseases. , 1991, Geriatrics.

[8]  H. Meiselman,et al.  Clinical measurement of taste and smell , 1986 .

[9]  S. Schiffman,et al.  Gustatory and olfactory dysfunction in dementia: Not specific to Alzheimer's disease , 1990, Neurobiology of Aging.

[10]  EFFECT OF CIGARETTE SMOKING ON OLFACTORY ACUITY. , 1964, Archives of otolaryngology.

[11]  G D Pearlson,et al.  Olfactory recognition: differential impairments in early and late Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases. , 1987, Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology.

[12]  R. Doty,et al.  Dose-related effects of cigarette smoking on olfactory function. , 1990, JAMA.

[13]  D. Yousem,et al.  Neuroimaging in patients with olfactory dysfunction. , 1994, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[14]  R. Doty,et al.  The olfactory and cognitive deficits of parkinson's disease: Evidence for independence , 1989, Annals of neurology.

[15]  J. Rubin,et al.  Sinusitis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. , 1990, Ear, nose, & throat journal.

[16]  D. Leopold,et al.  Disorders in taste and smell. , 1991, The Medical clinics of North America.

[17]  J. Haxby,et al.  Olfactory detection and identification performance are dissociated in early Alzheimer's disease , 1988, Neurology.

[18]  T. Getchell,et al.  Influence of Airborne Contaminants on Olfaction and the Common Chemical Sense , 1991 .

[19]  S. Nordin,et al.  Odor identification as an early marker for Alzheimer's disease: impact of lexical functioning and detection sensitivity. , 1995, Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology.

[20]  M. Serby,et al.  Olfactory identification deficits in HIV infection. , 1991, The American journal of psychiatry.

[21]  S. Zinreich,et al.  Radiographic Imaging of Sinusitis in HIV Infection , 1993, Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

[22]  T. Engen.  Odor sensation and memory , 1991 .

[23]  S. Schiffman.  Drugs influencing taste and smell perception , 1991 .

[24]  Z. Wszolek,et al.  Olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. , 1998, Clinical neuroscience.

[25]  Thomas V. Getchell,et al.  Smell and Taste in Health and Disease , 1992, Annals of Internal Medicine.