Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2001 Mar;44(3):278-282.

Odorant Confusion Matrix Odor Identification Test Using Synthetic Odorants

• Yang KH
• Lee JS
• Huh NH
• Choi SH
• Park YM

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The odorant confusion matrix (OCM) odor identification test is a kind of suprathreshold odor identification test using 10 synthetic odorants as stimuli and confusion matrix consisted of closed alternatives. This test is known to have an advantage in qualitative diagnosis of olfactory dysfunction by analyzing mis-identification of odorants at specific nerve dysfunctions. The aim of this study is whether we can use this OCM odor identification test for comparing normals with patients with olfactory disturbance.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The OCM odor identification test using 10 synthetic odorants familiar to Korean was applied to 40 normals and 32 patients who showed decreased sense of smell without sinonasal diseases. Percent-corrects of normals were compared with patients and with olfactory thresholds by a modified ascending method of limits (CCCRC) test using successively diluted 1-butanol.
RESULTS
Percent-corrects of normals in the OCM odor identification test was higher than those of patients with statistical significance (p<0.001), and the results of OCM odor identification test was well correlated with those of the CCCRC olfactory threshold test (r=0.77).
CONCLUSION
The OCM odor identification test exhibited no problems in discriminating patients from normals and can be used in clinical contexts.

Keyword

Olfaction disorder; Odors

MeSH Terms

1-Butanol
Diagnosis
Humans
Odors*
Olfaction Disorders
Smell
1-Butanol