84
P O S T E R P R E S E N TAT I O N S
#
P145
POSTER SESSION III:
TRIGEMINAL; HUMAN OLFACTORY
PSYCHOPHYSICS; TASTE PERIPHERY
Perception of large and small odorant molecules –
A study investigating the olfactory perception as a
function of age and odorant molecular size
Laura Puschmann, Charlotte Sinding, Thomas Hummel
Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology,
University of Dresden Medical School Dresden, Germany
For various sensory systems selective functional limitations with
increasing age were detected. In vision and hearing it shows in
hyperopia or an increased hearing threshold for high frequencies.
But what about the olfactory system? While some studies suggest
a general olfactory impairment, others allow assumptions of
partial processes. In this study the influence of odorant molecular
size was examined for the olfactory perception in different ages.
Olfactory threshold tests were conducted at two age groups
(
group 1: 18 to 30 years, group 2: 50 to 70 years). We used single
odorants, bimolecular odorants and perfumes, each consisting of
large or small molecules. The results of these studies showed no
differences for large and small odorant molecules in the young
group of subjects. Whereas they were perceived differently by the
50
to 70 year-old. The latter had significantly higher thresholds
for large olfactory molecules. This phenomenon however, was
detected only for mono- and bimolecular odorants. Perfumes
were perceived similar in both groups. In Conclusion we can
hypothesize differing processes for odor perception of small and
big odorant molecules in different age-groups at the receptor
level. Moreover perfumes seem to generate more complex
olfactory information. The existence of partial processes on
olfactory impairment with increasing age is expected for the
olfactory system, too. Acknowledgements: This project was
supported by a grant from DFG Schwerpunktprogramm (SPP)
1392 -
Integrative Analysis of Olfaction to Thomas Hummel. In
addition we thank Fragrance Resources GmbH, Hamburg for
cooperation.
#
P146
POSTER SESSION III:
TRIGEMINAL; HUMAN OLFACTORY
PSYCHOPHYSICS; TASTE PERIPHERY
Odor Identification and Cognition in a Nationally
Representative Sample of Older Adults
L. Philip Schumm
1
,
David W. Kern
2
,
Kristen E. Wroblewski
1
,
Jayant
M. Pinto
3
,
Ashwin A. Kotwal
4
,
William Dale
4
,
Martha K. McClintock
2
1
Department of Health Studies, University of Chicago Chicago, IL,
USA,
2
Comparative Human Development and Institute for Mind
and Biology, University of Chicago Chicago, IL, USA,
3
Section of
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery,
University of Chicago Chicago, IL, USA,
4
Department of Medicine,
Section of Geriatrics & Palliative Medicine, University of Chicago
Chicago, IL, USA
Errors in odor identification are associated with subsequent
cognitive impairment in populations clinically at risk for
Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. However, such associations
have not been investigated in the general U.S. population.
We administered a 5-item test of odor identification to a U.S.
national probability sample of 3,005 community-dwelling adults
aged 57–85 in 2005–6 (Wave 1); respondents and their spouses
were then retested in 2010–1 (Wave 2). Odors were presented
using Sniffin’ Sticks, and respondents were asked to identify
each from among four word-picture options. Respondents
in Wave 2 also completed the Chicago Cognitive Function
Measure (C-CFM), a survey instrument assessing eight distinct
cognitive domains, derived from the Montreal Cognitive
Assessment (MoCA). The C-CFM is 30% faster, with scores
ranging from 0–20 (mean = 13.5, SD = 4.1) that correlate highly
with the MoCA (r = 0.97). In a multiple regression model of
C-CFM on odor identification score in Wave 2 (n = 2,076),
each additional odor identification error was associated with
a reduction in C-CFM score of 0.61 (95% CI = (0.44, 0.77); p
<0.001), even after controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity,
education and self-rated physical and mental health. The change
in odor identification score over 5 years was also predictive of
C-CFM scores in Wave 2, with each additional error (relative
to Wave 1) corresponding to a reduction in C-CFM score of
0.29 (95%
CI = (0.11, 0.47); p = 0.002). NSHAP is the first
study to demonstrate an association between olfactory and
cognitive function among the U.S. population of older adults.
These results suggest that this relationship is not limited to
those at high risk of neurodegenerative disease, but may also
represent a more fundamental characteristic of the aging process.
Acknowledgements: The National Social Life, Health and
Aging Project Wave 2 (R37 AG030481). DWK is supported
by The Center on Aging Specialized Training Program in
the Demography and Economics of Aging, which is funded
by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) (T32000243). JMP
was supported by the Institute of Translational Medicine at
The University of Chicago (KL2RR025000) and the National
Institute on Aging (AG036762).
#
P147
POSTER SESSION III:
TRIGEMINAL; HUMAN OLFACTORY
PSYCHOPHYSICS; TASTE PERIPHERY
Longitudinal Study of Olfactory Decline in a Nationally
Representative Sample of Community Dwelling Older Adults
Kristen E Wroblewski
1
,
Jayant M Pinto
2
,
David W Kern
3
,
L Philip Schumm
1
,
Martha K McClintock
3
1
Department of Health Studies, University of Chicago Chicago, IL,
USA,
2
Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department
of Surgery, University of Chicago Chicago, IL, USA,
3
Comparative
Human Development and Institute for Mind and Biology, University of
Chicago Chicago, IL, USA
In a cross-sectional study we previously demonstrated striking
race and gender differences in olfactory function among older
US adults (AChems 2012). Here we report a 5 year follow-up of
the same subjects to determine 1) the rate of olfactory decline
and 2) if this decline differed by race or gender. The National
Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) interviewed a
nationally-representative sample of community-dwelling older
US adults (57-85 years) in 2005-6 (Wave 1) and in 2010-11
Abstracts are printed as submitted by the author(s).
