Olfactory functioning in patients with alcohol dependence: impairments in odor judgements.

Aims: Prior studies indicate that alcohol-dependent patients have impaired olfactory sensitivity, odor quality discrimination and identification ability. However, olfactory functioning with regard to the immediate, perception driven odor associations is unknown. Therefore, this study assessed olfactory judgements in nonamnesic and nondemented patients with alcohol dependence.

Reduced olfactory sensitivity, discrimination, and identification in patients with alcohol dependence.

Background: Various olfactory deficits have been reported in the alcohol-induced amnestic syndrome (Korsakoff's syndrome). Less is known about olfactory functioning in nonamnesic and nondemented alcoholic patients.

Methods: Olfactory performance of 30 alcohol-dependent patients was assessed unirhinally using the Sniffin' Sticks (threshold, discrimination, identification, composite TDI score) and compared with that of 30 healthy controls, matched for sex, age, and smoking status.