Comparing the Effectiveness of Olfactory Training, According as Type and Preference of Odorant

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Recently, the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction has increased with pollution and population adequate. Treatment by olfactory training has been suggested as an alternative method, but there is no protocol for olfactory training with odorants familiar to Koreans. Also, no studies have analyzed the effects of individual preference in terms of personalized medicine. This study compared the effectiveness of olfactory training according to patient odor preference.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The prospective study was performed in patients with olfactory dysfunction and used 8 total odorants. After a survey of preference for the odorants, patients were divided into two groups, one group performed olfactory training with 3 preferred odorants, whereas the other group performed training with odorants they did not prefer. Also, the effects of olfactory training in the two groups were compared by KVSS threshold, discrimination, identification score, and subjective VAS score of olfaction. Olfactory testing was performed before and after training for 4 and 12 weeks.RESULTS: There was no demographic difference between the two groups. After olfactory training, the preference group showed statistically significant improvement in threshold, identification, TDI score, and VAS score. Conversely, there was no significant change of olfactory function in the non-preference group.CONCLUSION: Thus, we conclude that odorants of olfactory training should be applied depending on cultural preferences, and that the preferred odorants of each individual patient will have a greater therapeutic effect on olfactory dysfunction compared to non-preferred odorants.