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At least 1,189 records · Page 66Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Effect of terfenadine and budesonide on nasal symptoms, olfaction, and nasal airway patency following allergen challenge.

The study investigated the effect of the oral H1-blocker terfenadine on allergen challenge in subjects with nasal allergy in comparison with the topical steroid, budesonide. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study with 3 experimental days was performed outside the pollen season. Seventeen nonsmokers with hay fever (symptoms, positive skin prick test, and RAST against timothy) were treated for 14 days before each experimental day, where the response to nasal challenge with four different concentrations of timothy was measured every 15 min for 6 h. The nasal cavity dimensions were measured by acoustic rhinometry and the olfactory function as the threshold for the sense of smell of butanol. Nasal symptoms were determined by questionnaires. Both terfenadine and budesonide dry powder had an effect on the hay fever symptoms during nasal pollen challenge. Terfenadine was more efficient than budesonide against histamine-mediated symptoms such as sneezing and itching. Budesonide increased nasal airway dimensions better than terfenadine (P < 0.01). A marked effect of budesonide was seen 1-2 h after challenge, suggesting an effect on "early late phase" reaction in the nose. In 7/17 subjects, a significant (P < 0.05) improvement of olfactory function after budesonide treatment was seen. In conclusion, topical steroid (budesonide) is superior to antihistamine (terfenadine) in treatment of nasal congestion in hay fever, especially for the postchallenge reaction, and may, in some cases, relieve the decreased sense of smell during pollen challenge.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1995

Pica and olfactory craving of pregnancy: how deep are the secrets?

The practice of pica during pregnancy is described in contemporary literature as the ingestion of nonfood substances and food staples in response to craving. A previously unnamed practice, olfactory craving of pregnancy, is the smelling by pregnant women of selected substances in response to craving, which may occur alone or with pica. Observations and descriptions of women's experiences of pica and olfactory craving were documented during individualized postpartum bedside instruction of 300 women at a midwestern hospital between 1992 and 1994. Most women were African American and low income. Eight themes about pica of pregnancy were keeping practices secret, singularity of the experience, obtaining the craved substance, fears for effects on the fetus, yielding or not yielding to cravings, use of substances as medication, pica and food intake, and sensory experiences other than taste. Three themes about olfactory craving of pregnancy were changes in sense of smell during pregnancy, types of craved substances and settings, and escalation in use during pregnancy. The clinical stages of pica and olfactory craving require further investigation, and perinatal caregivers have to seek and remove the barriers that cause pregnant women to isolate themselves with the practices that stem from these cravings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Geriatric oral health and its impact on eating.

OBJECTIVE: Adequate food and fluid intake and nutritional health are requisites for sustaining life. The oral-pharyngeal region has evolved multiple, highly regulated processes to ensure that the intake, chewing, and swallowing of foods and beverages is maintained. The objective of this paper is to identify the independent and collective roles of oral health on eating in older people. DESIGN: Research reports from peer-reviewed scientific journals. Hypothesis-driven research that objectively examined taste, smell, dental and oral mucosal health, dental prostheses, chewing, and swallowing in the context of aging. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data results were extracted independently by multiple observers. A qualitative synthesis of data results from independent studies was made in order to form conclusions regarding the role of oral health on eating in older people. CONCLUSIONS: Many oral functions remain intact in healthy older adults. However, significant alterations arise from oral and systemic diseases and their treatments, and these may have a profound effect on eating, drinking, and the nutritional status of older individuals. The care of older persons with smell, taste, dental/alveolar, oral mucosal, chewing, and swallowing problems requires a multidisciplinary team of health care providers. Recognition of the interrelationship between oral, pharyngeal, and systemic physiological processes will help practitioners identify the etiology of these disorders and implement appropriate therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Perceptions of school toilets as a cause for irregular toilet habits among schoolchildren aged 6 to 16 years.

Irregular bladder and bowel habits can contribute to urinary and bowel problems. Schoolchildren undergoing treatment for these problems often do not follow the recommendation of regular toilet visits at school, claiming negative perceptions of school toilets. This study examined 6- to 16-year-old schoolchildren's perceptions of school toilets and whether the perceptions affect bladder and bowel habits at school Some 385 Swedish schoolchildren aged 6 to 16 years were surveyed using a semistructured questionnaire. Children aged 13 to 16 years had the most negative perceptions. Twenty-five percent (overall 16%) of older children reported never using the school toilet to urinate, and 80% (overall 63%) never used it to defecate. Perceptions of sight and smell and emotional constraints hindered children from using the school toilets. Children generally based their perceptions of school toilets on physical appearance, offensive smell, and feelings of insecurity. Children's perceptions affected their toilet habits and would rather endure physical discomfort than the psychological and social discomfort of using the school toilet. Children already suffering from urinary tract or intestinal problems face particular difficulties without regular toilet visits during the day.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Influence of age and age-related diseases on olfactory function.

It is clear from this review that olfactory function is markedly altered in old age and in a number of age-related diseases. The deficits appear to be rather general and detectable by several types of olfactory tests. Considerable interindividual variability exists, however, and the physiologic bases of these changes are not clear. In many healthy elderly persons, smell loss appears to occur as a result of one or more causes, including viral insult, cumulated exposure to toxic fumes, head trauma, and calcification of the cribriform plate. Several reviews have appeared suggesting that the olfactory system may be a center of primary involvement in AD. Of particular interest is the hypothesis that environmental agents (related etiologically to the disease process) pass into the central nervous system via the highly active transport mechanisms of the olfactory receptors. This latter notion, although attractive, must be viewed conservatively, as it is possible that the olfactory pathways are simply selectively vulnerable to destruction by various disease processes. This may explain why Huntington's chorea and multiinfarct dementia, in addition to AD and PD, are associated with alterations in smell function. Although it is tempting to assume, as have authors such as Koss et al., that alterations in threshold function reflect peripheral olfactory dysfunction and that alterations in odor identification and other more demanding tasks reflect central olfactory dysfunction, there is little empirical support for such a simple dichotomy. Despite the fact that a peripheral/central distinction is useful in clinical audiology (where threshold loss is commonly associated with CN VIII pathology), an evaluation of the utility of this distinction in olfaction requires further research. The limited data suggest that both identification and detection deficits commonly arise from damage to the olfactory epithelium, even though identification deficits unassociated with detection deficits may occur in some central brain disorders. It is apparent from the studies reviewed in this chapter that considerable progress has been made during the last decade in elucidating the nature and prevalence of olfactory disturbances in elderly patients, as well as in patients with dementia-related diseases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Olfactory dysfunction in multiple sclerosis. Relation to plaque load in inferior frontal and temporal lobes.

The question of whether and to what degree multiple sclerosis (MS) influences the ability to smell is controversial. We administered the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) to 26 MS patients and concurrently employed high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantify the number of demyelinating plaques within central brain structures. 38.5% of the patients demonstrated olfactory loss, with 7.7% exhibiting severe microsmia, 19.2% moderate microsmia, and 11.5% mild microsmia. None was anosmic, and no consistent left:right asymmetry in olfactory function or in hemispheric plaque numbers was observed. A strong negative correlation was found (Spearman r = -0.94) between UPSIT scores and the number of plaques within the inferior frontal and temporal lobes, but not within the rest of the brain. This study unequivocally demonstrates that a sizable proportion of MS patients suffer from olfactory loss commensurate with plaque activity within olfactory-related central brain regions, and is the first to explicate a physical basis for the olfactory dysfunction of any common neurologic disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Rapid clinical evaluation of anosmia in children: the Alcohol Sniff Test.

Smell impairment affects 1-2% of Americans and leads to frequent physician visits. Olfactory functional testing is available in chemosensory centers, but is frequently omitted in routine cranial nerve examinations. A new smell test, using the standard 70% isopropyl alcohol pad, was developed at the UCSD Nasal Dysfunction Clinic: The Alcohol Sniff Test (AST). The current study examined the reliability of the AST in children, using test-retest measures. A standard 70% isopropyl alcohol pad was moved upward 1 cm per exhalation until the participant reported detection. Test-retest reliability of the AST in children was significant, r = 0.80. The AST predictably classified children as anosmic, hyposmic or normosmic, p < 0.0001. The AST requires only 5 minutes to administer with materials readily available in any physician's office or hospital. The AST is an effective screening tool, even in children, for the average physician who can then refer patients who show less than normal function for further comprehensive testing.

2-Propanol↗
PubMed2004

Partner-specific odor recognition in an Antarctic seabird.

Among birds, the Procellariiform seabirds (petrels, albatrosses, and shearwaters) are prime candidates for using chemical cues for individual recognition. These birds have an excellent olfactory sense, and a variety of species nest in burrows that they can recognize by smell. However, the nature of the olfactory signature--the scent that makes one burrow smell more like home than another--has not been established for any species. Here, we explore the use of intraspecific chemical cues in burrow recognition and present evidence for partner-specific odor recognition in a bird.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

War gases as olfactory probes.

The tear gas ethyl bromoacetate is a fruity-smelling alkylating agent that blocks the ability of the frog nose to respond to esters and a variety of other odorants, but leaves sensitivity to amines unimpaired. Lachrymators and chemical warfare agents of other functional types such as sulfides (mustard gas) and amines (nitrogen mustards) may have similarly specific actions that will enable their use as chemical probes of the sense of smell.

Alkylating Agents↗
PubMed1991

Olfactory impairment in motor neuron disease: a pilot study.

The ability to identify smells was tested in nine males and six females with motor neuron disease (MND) of varying severity, using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). The olfactory impairment found in MND patients compared with age and sex matched controls is statistically significant at the 0.005 level. The relationship with Parkinson's disease, with Alzheimer's dementia and the possible aetiological implications of this new aspect of the MND are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Assessment of olfaction in multiple sclerosis: evidence of dysfunction by olfactory evoked response and identification tests.

OBJECTIVE: To resolve whether the olfactory pathways are affected in multiple sclerosis. METHODS: Olfaction was assessed by: (1) The University of Pennsylvania smell identification test (UPSIT, which uses microencapsulated odours that are released when scratched with a pencil) in 72 patients with multiple sclerosis and 96 controls, (2) olfactory evoked potentials (OEP) to 20 ppm H2S by volume, and 50% CO2 in air for 45 patients with multiple sclerosis and 47 controls. The abnormality rate in patients with multiple sclerosis for both tests (1) and (2) was compared with that for visual evoked potentials measured using a standard checquerboard technique. RESULTS: By comparison with controls, patients exhibited significantly low scores on the smell identification test with 15% of patients scoring outside the 95% confidence intervals for controls. The UPSIT was occasionally abnormal when the visual evoked potential (VEP) was normal. In general UPSIT scores correlated well with the H2S-evoked response in controls and patients. For H2S, there was a statistically significant increase of latency and decrease of amplitude for patients compared with controls. Increased H2S latency and reduced UPSIT score correlated with greater disability on conventional rating scales. Overall, H2S responses were abnormal in about one quarter of patients with multiple sclerosis. The sensitivity of UPSIT and OEP was similar although disorder on one test did not necessarily indicate abnormality in the other. The visual evoked potential was found to be a more sensitive indicator of disease than OEP or UPSIT. CONCLUSION: These findings confirm the existence of olfactory dysfunction in multiple sclerosis and validate a new evoked potential technique.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Color of scents: chromatic stimuli modulate odor responses in the human brain.

Color has a profound effect on the perception of odors. For example, strawberry-flavored drinks smell more pleasant when colored red than green and descriptions of the "nose" of a wine are dramatically influenced by its color. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we demonstrate a neurophysiological correlate of these cross-modal visual influences on olfactory perception. Subjects were scanned while exposed either to odors or colors in isolation or to color-odor combinations that were rated on the basis of how well they were perceived to match. Activity in caudal regions of the orbitofrontal cortex and in the insular cortex increased progressively with the perceived congruency of the odor-color pairs. These findings demonstrate the neuronal correlates of olfactory response modulation by color cues in brain areas previously identified as encoding the hedonic value of smells.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Olfaction: from odorant molecules to the olfactory cortex.

How do we smell? Our knowledge of how odor information from the environment is perceived has greatly advanced since the discovery of approximately 1,000 genes for odorant receptors in the mammalian genome. From the combination of molecular-genetic, electrophysiological, and optical imaging studies a better understanding of how we smell is emerging.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Theoretical accounts of Gulf War Syndrome: from environmental toxins to psychoneuroimmunology and neurodegeneration.

Non-specific illness includes a wide variety of symptoms: behavioural (e.g., reduced food and water intake), cognitive (e.g., memory and concentration problems) and physiological (e.g., fever). This paper reviews evidence suggesting that such symptoms can be explained more parsimoniously as a single symptom cluster than as a set of separate illnesses such as Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). This superordinate syndrome could have its biological basis in the activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines (in particular interleukin-1: IL-1), that give rise to what has become known as the 'sickness response'. It is further argued that the persistence of non-specific illness in chronic conditions like GWS may be (in part) attributable to a bio-associative mechanism (Ferguson and Cassaday, 1999). In the case of GWS, physiological challenges could have produced a non-specific sickness response that became associated with smells (e.g., petrol), coincidentally experienced in the Persian Gulf. On returning to the home environment, these same smells would act as associative triggers for the maintenance of (conditioned) sickness responses. Such associative mechanisms could be mediated through the hypothalamus and limbic system via vagal nerve innervation and would provide an explanation for the persistence of a set of symptoms (e.g., fever) that should normally be short lived and self-limiting. We also present evidence that the pattern of symptoms produced by the pro-inflammatory cytokines reflects a shift in immune system functioning towards a (T-helper-1) Th1 profile. This position contrasts with other immunological accounts of GWS that suggest that the immune system demonstrates a shift to a Th2 (allergy) profile. Evidence pertaining to these two contrasting positions is reviewed.

Association↗
PubMed1983

Effects of electrical stimulation of the human olfactory mucosa.

Electrical stimulation of the human olfactory mucosa was performed by means of an electrode attached to a rhinoscope . Stimulation of the nasal mucosa did not evoke smell sensations, but suppressed smell sensations of presented odorants. When electrical stimulation followed the exposure to an odorant within a certain interval, the stimulus recalled the already faded sensation of the preceding odorant. Electrical stimulation without prior natural stimulation produced unpleasant sensations in 3 patients with a history of temporal lobe seizures and olfactory auras , but not in patients with primary, generalized or focal epilepsy.

Electric Stimulation↗
PubMed1993

What's so special about special visceral?

The brainstem is classically divided into functional columns including special and general subdivisions for somatic and visceral components. The term 'special visceral motor' is applied to branchiomotor nuclei, while 'special visceral sensory' refers to nuclei devoted to incoming gustatory and olfactory senses. The use of the term 'special visceral motor' is questioned in that the branchiomotor neurons function more like general somatic than general visceral motoneurons. The designation of taste and smell as 'special visceral sensory' systems seems inconsistent on several bases. First, taste and smell are not homologous systems: (1) the receptors are grossly dissimilar in morphology and relationship to other elements of the nervous system; (2) the two systems mediate very different behaviors and respond to different types of chemical stimuli, and (3) chemosensory systems are not 'special' (i.e. limited to cranial nerves) in that solitary chemoreceptor cells, which are distributed across the body surface, can be innervated by spinal or cranial nerves. Finally, taste is considered 'special' because it involves specialized chemosensory end organs; the visceral nerves also provide innervation to other specialized chemoreceptors (e.g. carotid body) which are considered part of the general visceral sensory system. Thus the term 'special visceral sensory' appears without solid foundation when applied to gustatory systems in contradistinction to nongustatory branchial and thoracic interoceptive systems. A reformulation of the functional columns of the brainstem is suggested in which six columns can be identified: (1) somatic motor; (2) branchial motor; (3) visceral motor; (4) visceral sensory; (5) somatic sensory, and (6) hair cell (dorsolateral placode) sensory.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Molecular mechanisms of olfactory processing in the mammalian olfactory epithelium.

In humans the sense of smell plays an important role in protecting the organism from external hazards like fire, gas or spoiled food, in the consumption of food and in chemical communication with one another. Increasingly, the study of human olfaction is relevant to a number of medical problems connected with olfactory dysfunction, i.e. neurodegenerative diseases which are also manifested in the olfactory epithelium. Although much is known about behavioral aspects and neuronal activities elicited by odorants, we still cannot clearly describe the molecular mechanisms by which odor stimuli are transformed into an electrical cell signal. Here recent progress in our knowledge about the molecular elements of the transduction machinery are reviewed. It can help to understand the general principles underlying our sense of smell.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Olfactory identification deficits in HIV infection.

OBJECTIVE: Impaired odor identification is described in a number of CNS disorders, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects the CNS in a large percentage of patients. To evaluate whether impaired olfaction may indicate CNS disease, the authors measured odor identification in patient groups defined along a continuum of progressive immunodeficiency and in a comparison group. METHOD: Most of the 42 HIV-infected patients in the study were outpatients in a clinic specializing in treatment of HIV-infected individuals. The comparison subjects were 37 healthy age- and sex-matched individuals who were recruited from hospital and medical school personnel. Ten of the patients were HIV-seropositive but had no symptoms, 24 had clinical evidence of immunocompromise, and eight had HIV dementia. All subjects were given the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test, which presents common odorants and requires the subject to identify the odor from a four-item word list. The data were analyzed by using analysis of variance after arc-sine transformation and Scheffé post hoc analysis. RESULTS: All patients scored significantly lower on the Smell Identification Test than did the comparison subjects. The patients with HIV dementia had significantly lower scores than did the other two groups of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically, impaired olfaction might serve as a marker of early CNS HIV involvement. Future studies should attempt to match comparison and experimental populations for socioeconomic status and HIV risk behavior.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗