Screening for Age-Related Olfactory Decline Using a Card-Type Odor Identification Test Designed for Use with Japanese People

Background A card-type odor identification test called the “Open Essence (OE),” consisting of 12 types of everyday odors familiar to Japanese people, was recently developed. In this study, we calculated the cut-off value of the OE score for screening for age-related olfactory decline. Methods Participants aged 23 to 91 performed the OE test. After we confirmed that the OE score differed significantly between young/middle-aged adults (under 65 years old) and elderly adults (over 65 years old), we assumed that the young/middle-aged group had normal olfactory ability, whereas the elderly group had experienced a decline in odor identification ability. We then performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis using the OE score. Results The cut-off value of the OE score for screening for age-related olfactory decline, calculated on the basis of the ROC curve, was 8. Conclusion Individuals with the OE scores of 7 or less may have age-related olfactory decline. Our finding suggests that this cut-off value could be used to screen Japanese people with age-related olfactory decline. Implication The OE test is self-administered and has a cut-off value of the OE score for screening for age-related olfactory decline. Therefore, it is expected to be useful in mass screening for elderly adults.