ABSTRACT

Introduction: The Chinese Smell Identification Test (CSIT) was developed specifically for Chinese populations. This work investigated the utility of this test in detecting Parkinson’s disease (PD). Olfactory dysfunction is a common non-motor symptom of PD. There are different opinions on the efficacy of drugs for anosmia in PD.

Objective: To investigate the olfactory function of Chinese PD patients, verify the effectiveness of the CSIT, and further detect the effects of dopaminergic drugs on anosmia.

Methods: In total, 149 PD patients were recruited from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University and 149 healthy comparison participants (HCP) were recruited from the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The CSIT was used for olfactory function testing in all participants.

Results: CSIT scores were significantly lower in the PD group than in the HCP group (t(296) = −12.797, P < 0.001, d = 1.48). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the optimal threshold value for the olfactory recognition test was 22.5, which had a sensitivity and specificity of 71.1% and 89.3%, respectively, for the detection of Parkinson’s disease. Sex showed a significant influence on CSIT score (t = −3.552, P = 0.001), with males being more likely to develop olfactory dysfunction. We found CSIT scores of the non-medication group and the group with medication were lower than those of the HCP group, and the difference was statistically significant (t(82) = −7.116, P < 0.0167, d = 1.59; t(82) = −4.907, P < 0.0167, d = 1.10). CSIT scores of the group with medication were significantly higher than those of the non-medication group (t(41) = −3.067, P < 0.0167, d = 0.41).

Conclusions: In China, the CSIT is recommended to improve the sensitivity of PD detection. The olfactory function of PD patients was improved after treatment with dopaminergic drugs.