Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol.  2011 Dec;4(4):184-187.

Relationship between the Korean Version of the Sniffin' Stick Test and the T&T Olfactometer in the Korean Population

• Hong SM
• Park IH
• Kim KM
• Shin JM
• Lee HM

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The Korean version of the Sniffin' stick (KVSS) test is widely used in Korea to evaluate olfactory function. However, its validity and reliability have not been studied well. In this study, the authors administered the KVSS and the T%T olfactometer test to evaluate olfactory function and to establish relationships between these two test measures.
METHODS
Two hundred and eleven patients participated in this prospective randomized study. One hundred and nine patients with no olfactory symptoms and 102 patients with decreased olfaction participated. All participants were underwent KVSS II and T&T olfactometer testing.
RESULTS
The mean recognition threshold of the T&T olfactometer was -1.8+/-0.9 for patients with normal olfaction and 4.0+/-2.6 for patients with decreased olfaction. The mean Threshold-Discrimination-Identification score of the KVSS II was 30.0+/-3.8 for patients with normal olfaction and 15.9+/-7.1 for patients with decreased olfaction. Correlation coefficient between the two tests was significantly high (r(s)=-0.725, P<0.01).
CONCLUSION
The KVSS and T&T olfactometry test are both reliable tests of olfactory function and their results are well correlated with each other.

Keyword

Korean version of Sniffin' stick test; T&T olfactometer

MeSH Terms

Humans
Korea
Prospective Studies
Reproducibility of Results
Smell

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Comparison of mean T&T olfactometer scores of normal, hyposmia, and anosmia groups based on Korean version of the Sniffin' stick (KVSS) II (A). Comparison of the mean KVSS II scores of these three groups based on T&T olfactometer (B). The mean scores in these three groups were significantly different (*P<0.01).

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  Fig. 2 Correlations between Threshold-Discrimination-Identification (TDI) scores of the Korean version of the Sniffin' stick (KVSS) II and recognition thresholds by T&T olfactometry (A), between threshold scores of the KVSS II and detection thresholds by T&T olfactometry (B), and between identification scores of the KVSS II and recognition thresholds by T&T olfactometry (C). All three correlations were found to be significant.

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