Published in:
Open Access
01-02-2022 | Smelling Disorder | Rhinology
q-Powders: a quick test for screening retronasal olfactory disorders with tasteless powders
Authors:
Michal Pieniak, Anna Oleszkiewicz, Marie Klockow, Ayaho Yoshino, Antje Haehner, Thomas Hummel
Published in:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology
|
Issue 2/2022
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Abstract
Purpose
To investigate the clinical utility of q-Powders—a retronasal identification screening test.
Methods
A total of 156 subjects (92 females, mean age: 54.5 years ± 17.3 years) completed a 3-item q-Powders retronasal identification test and a 16-items Sniffin’ Sticks orthonasal identification test. We analyzed whether the q-Powders test could differentiate between subjects with normosmia and subjects with an olfactory disorder.
Results
Our data indicated that subjects with an olfactory disorder scored lower in the q-Powders test than subjects with normosmia. The analyses revealed q-Powders test sensitivity of 84% and a test specificity of 64.9% with a score of 2 points taken as a cutoff for olfactory disorders.
Conclusion
The 3-item q-Powders retronasal test may be used for screening purposes in clinical research.