[Classification of reduced sense of smell in women with Parkinson's disease].

Aim: It is well known that patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) prominently experience difficulty in smelling, a nonmotor symptom, without any signs or symptoms from an early stage. However, no study on the classification of the reduced sense of smell has been performed. We compared the classification of reduced sense of smell (bromine) between PD patients and healthy subjects to clarify the disorder profile.

Methods: The subjects were 14 female neurology outpatients clinically diagnosed with PD (mean age: 71.6 ± 6.1 years) and 11 female elderly healthy subjects without any psychiatric or neurological disorders (mean age: 68.9 ± 6.9 years). In this study, the Japanese odor stick identification test was used.

Results: Both the PD patients and the healthy subjects showed a reduced sense of smell for the bromine of lumber, orange, and domestic gas. The PD patients preserved a sense of smell for perfume, but they showed a significantly lower sense of smell than the healthy subjects for the bromine of China ink, menthol, curry, rose, cypress, sweaty socks, and condensed milk; this indicates that bromine can be a supportive diagnostic index for PD.

Conclusion: It was considered important to evaluate the reduced sense of smell in PD patients to avoid hazards in their daily lives and to conduct an effective rehabilitation program.