Correlations between the olfacto-respiratory reflex and nasal mucosa blood flow: comparative evaluation through rhinomanometry and laser-Doppler flowmeter testing.

The authors compared the reliability of the olfacto-respiratory test with the vasomotor response evoked by the olfactory stimulation of nasal mucosa, as detected by laser-Doppler flowmetry. The aim was to investigate the possible advantages offered by laser-Doppler flowmeter testing, since this machine has a great capacity for detecting even very small variations in blood flow. The authors, however, can affirm that laser-Doppler flowmetry is only able to detect reflex reactions evoked by stimuli affecting trigeminal innervation.