Olfactory Training in Various Populations

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MEDICAL CENTER · Oct 30, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study is testing whether smelling training can help people with smell problems, including after a traumatic brain injury or concussion. Participants will do olfactory training (daily smelling exercises) and are randomly assigned to one of two groups: Group A uses 4 scents, and Group B uses 14 scents. The researchers will measure whether smell performance improves over 6 months, looking at how well people can detect faint smells and how well they can identify different smells. They also want to know if using more scents leads to better recovery. The trial is led by the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Eligible adults are 18 to 80 years old who have a measurable or noticeable smell disorder and can complete smell tests and daily training. You would not be eligible if you are under 18 or over 80, are pregnant, have dementia or other major brain disorders, have conditions affecting the nose that aren’t related to the study, or if you cannot follow the daily training or attend follow-up visits. The study is randomized (groups chosen by chance) and does not involve a drug. It’s a long-running, 6-month study at KU Medical Center with about 250 participants, and results will compare the two scent-training approaches and relate them to prior research. If you want more details, the study identifier is NCT06115291.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age 18-80
• • Quantifiable or subjective olfactory dysfunction
• • ability to complete objective olfactory tests and comply with olfactory training protocol
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Anyone lower than the age of 18, or greater than the age of 80
• • Pregnant women, as sinonasal symptoms and changes in smell can occur in pregnancy and are multifactorial
• • Patients with poor or questionable compliance, as participation requires daily compliance with study protocol
• • Patient's that are unable to perform routine follow-up
• • Patients who are participating in another study during this trial
• • Patients with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or other neurocognitive disorders, as these conditions are associated with baseline olfactory dysfunction.
• • Patients with other systemic conditions known to impact the sinonasal cavity such as Wegener's granulomatosis, Churg Strauss, and immunodeficiency, as their impact on olfaction is unknown
• • Patients who are allergic to any of the smells or components of our olfactory testing and training