Utility of the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders-Negative Statements in Age-Related Olfactory Dysfunction

Abstract

Background

Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is both under-recognized and underdiagnosed in aging adults. Prior studies in chronic rhinosinusitis have demonstrated a correlation between the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders-Negative Statements (QOD-NS) and psychophysical olfactory testing, indicating potential utility for screening in this group. This study examined the correlation between QOD-NS scores, psychophysical function, and olfactory-associated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in a novel, aging population. Additionally, we examined the potential utility of the QOD-NS as a screening instrument in this population.

Methods

Prospective cohort study in which healthy, adult volunteers completed the QOD-NS, olfaction-related visual analog scale (VAS) questions, Sniffin’ Sticks (TDI), De Jong Giervald Loneliness Scale, UCLA loneliness survey (UCLA), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9).

Results

Two-hundred and twenty-eight adults with mean age 50.3 ± 17.7 years were included. Subjects ≥50 years old had higher prevalences of hyposmia (58.3% vs 19.8%, P < 0.001) and anosmia (9.1% vs 3.1%, P < 0.001), and had worse QOD-NS and VAS (P < 0.001 for both). Aging subjects had significant correlations between QOD-NS and TDI (r = –0.386, p < 0.001), all VAS scores (P < 0.001), PHQ9 (r = 0.283, P = 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve demonstrated a QOD-NS of 8.0 as the optimal cutoff for a Youden's index of 0.23 for detection of dysosmia in aging patients.

Conclusions

The QOD-NS has significant, although weak correlation with psychophysical testing and psychosocial PROMs in aging subjects. However, a low Youden Index suggests limited potential of the QOD-NS as an OD screening tool in this population.