Olfactory Function Assessment of Blind Subjects Using the Sniffin’ Sticks Test

ObjectiveIn recent years, a growing number of studies have focused on the olfactory abilities of blind individuals as well as their tactile and auditory senses. In this study, we aimed to investigate possible alterations in the sense of smell in early- and late-blind subjects as compared with sighted controls, using a Sniffin’ Sticks test battery.Study DesignProspective clinical study.SettingTertiary referral center.Subjects and MethodsA total of 66 subjects were included in the study. The subjects were divided into 2 groups: blind subjects—who were then subgrouped as subjects with congenital blindness (n = 17) and those with acquired blindness (n = 16)—and sighted subjects (n = 33). We compared both congenitally and acquired blind subjects with sighted counterparts using the Sniffin’ Sticks test for odor threshold, odor discrimination, odor identification, and total odor scores.ResultsThe blind subjects were more successful than their sighted counterparts in odor discrimination and odor threshold tasks. ...