Perception is usually taken for granted and its significance appreciated after it has been lost or damaged. This seems especially true of olfaction, which is always active but without necessarily involving conscious experience and decisions. There has recently been an increase in the interest both by professionals and laypersons in the impairment of olfaction caused by disease and deleterious environmental effects. This article describes the development of a protocol for measuring deficits in olfaction and its relationship to etiology and treatment.
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