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. 2016 May;41(4):293-9.
doi: 10.1093/chemse/bjv088. Epub 2016 Jan 24.

Olfactory Dysfunction in Older Adults is Associated with Feelings of Depression and Loneliness

Anita Sivam  1 , Kristen E Wroblewski  2 , Gorka Alkorta-Aranburu  3 , Lisa L Barnes  4 , Robert S Wilson  4 , David A Bennett  4 , Jayant M Pinto  5
Affiliations

Olfactory Dysfunction in Older Adults is Associated with Feelings of Depression and Loneliness

Anita Sivam et al. Chem Senses. 2016 May.

Abstract

Olfactory dysfunction is a common complaint among physician visits. Olfactory loss affects quality of life and impairs function and activities of daily living. The purpose of our study was to assess the degree of odor identification associated with mental health. Olfactory function was measured using the brief smell identification test. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Loneliness was assessed by the de Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Cognition was measured by a battery of 19 cognitive tests. The frequency of olfactory dysfunction in our study was ~40%. Older subjects had worse olfactory performance, as previously found. More loneliness was associated with worse odor identification. Similarly, symptoms of depression were associated with worse olfaction (among men). Although better global cognitive function was strongly associated with better odor identification, after controlling for multiple factors, the associations with depression and loneliness were unchanged. Clinicians should assess these mental health conditions when treating older patients who present with olfactory deficits.

Keywords: cognition; demographics; demography; depression; loneliness; olfaction; retirement communities; retirement homes.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Distributions of the depressive symptom score and loneliness score.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
(A) Observed olfactory function by gender and age group. (B) Observed proportion of MAP subjects with olfactory dysfunction by gender and age group. White bars = women, black bars = men.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Probability of olfactory dysfunction (fewer than 9 odors correctly identified) stratified by gender and presence of depressive symptoms, using estimates from Table 3 (Model 3).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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