Test–Retest Reliability of the Olfactory Detection Threshold Test of the Sniffin' Sticks

• Published in: Chemical senses Vol. 33; no. 5; pp. 461 - 467
• Main Authors: Albrecht, Jessica, Anzinger, Andrea, Kopietz, Rainer, Schöpf, Veronika, Kleemann, Anna Maria, Pollatos, Olga, Wiesmann, Martin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01-06-2008; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: 1-Butanol - chemistry; 1-Butanol - pharmacology; Administration, Inhalation; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; n-butanol; odor; olfaction; Olfaction. Taste; Perception; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reference Values; repetition; Reproducibility of Results; sensitivity; Sensory Thresholds - drug effects; Sensory Thresholds - physiology; smell; Smell - drug effects; Smell - physiology; Statistics as Topic; Stimulation, Chemical; Time Factors; butanol; olfaction; odor; sensitivity; repetition; smell; Sensitivity; Olfaction; Detection threshold; Psychometrics; Perception; n-butanol; Test reliability; Psychophysics; Odor; Intertrial interval; Repetition
• ISSN: 0379-864X; 1464-3553
• DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjn013

The aim of the present study was to investigate the test–retest reliability of the olfactory detection threshold subtest of the Sniffin' Sticks test battery, if administered repeatedly on 4 time points. The detection threshold test was repeatedly conducted in 64 healthy subjects. On the first testing session, the threshold test was accomplished 3 times (T1 = 0 min, T2 = 35 min, and T3 = 105 min), representing a short-term testing. A fourth threshold test was conducted on a second testing session (T4 = 35.1 days after the first testing session), representing a long-term testing. The average scores for olfactory detection threshold for n-butanol did not differ significantly across the 4 points of time. The test–retest reliability (Pearson's r) between the 4 time points of threshold testing were in a range of 0.43–0.85 (P < 0.01). These results support the notion that the olfactory detection threshold test is a highly reliable method for repeated olfactory testing, even if the test is repeated more than once per day and over a long-term period. It is concluded that the olfactory detection threshold test of the Sniffin' Sticks is suitable for repeated testing during experimental or clinical studies.