Iran Smell Identification Test (Iran-SIT): a Modified Version of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) for Iranian Population

Smell identification ability was measured in 1955 persons ranging in age from 5 to 99 years. On the average, women outperformed men at all ages, and nonsmokers outperformed smokers. Peak performance occurred in the third through fifth decades and declined markedly after the seventh. More than half of those 65 to 80 years old evidenced major olfactory impairment. After 80 years, more than three-quarters evidenced major impairment. Given these findings, it is not surprising that many elderly persons complain that food lacks flavor and that the elderly account for a disproportionate number of accidental gas poisoning cases each year. Show more

The main and accessory olfactory systems have received considerable attention on the part of scientists and clinicians during the last decade, largely because of (a) quantum advances in understanding their genetically expressed receptor mechanisms, (b) evidence that their receptor cells undergo neurogenesis and both programmed and induced cell death, and (c) important technical and practical developments in psychophysical measurement. The latter developments have led to the proliferation of standardized olfactory testing in laboratories and clinics, and to the discovery that smell loss is among the first signs of a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Recent controversial claims that humans possess a functioning vomeronasal system responsive to "pheromones" has added further interest in intranasal chemoreception. This review focuses on recent progress made in understanding olfactory function, emphasizing transduction, measurement, and clinical findings. Show more