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Odor detection threshold, but not odor identification, is impaired in children with autism

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Abstract

The aim of our study was to examine odor detection thresholds and odor identification in autistic subjects. Thirty-five patients with Asperger’s syndrome and high functioning autism (mean age 10.8 ± 3.6 years; 31 boys) were compared with 35 healthy control subjects (mean age 10.4 ± 2.4 years; 28 boys). There were no significant differences between groups with regard to mean age (p = 0.598) and gender proportion (p = 0.324). Olfactory testing used the Sniffin’ Sticks test (threshold and identification parts only). Participants with Asperger’s syndrome and high functioning autism, in comparison with healthy controls, were significantly impaired relative to odor detection thresholds (6.3 ± 3.1 vs. 7.9 ± 2.0; p = 0.025). Autistic participants were significantly better in correctly identifying the odor of an orange (94 vs. 63%; p < 0.05) and significantly worse at correctly identifying the odor of cloves (40 vs. 74%; p < 0.05). With regard to identification of fourteen other substances, there were no significant differences. There was no significant difference between autistic and control subjects on the total score of olfactory identification (p = 0.799). Odor identification ability (as expressed by this total score) correlated significantly with age in the control group (p = 0.049), but not in the autism group (p = 0.103). We found impaired odor detection and almost normal odor identification in children with autism. Implications for further research are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

Supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Czech Republic (research grant MSM 0021620849), the Ministry of Health, Czech Republic (research grants MZ0FNM2005 and 1A-8667/4), and by the Institute of Psychology, Academy of Science, Czech Republic (research plan AV0Z70250504). We thank the Autism Research Center (University of Cambridge, UK) for use of the CAST screening tool that was used in our research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child Psychiatry, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, V Uvalu 84, 15006, Prague, Czech Republic

    Iva Dudova & Michal Hrdlicka

  2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Health Studies, University of Pardubice, Kyjevska 44, 53203, Pardubice, Czech Republic

    Jan Vodicka

  3. Department of Biology and Medical Genetics, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, V Uvalu 84, 15006, Prague, Czech Republic

    Marketa Havlovicova & Zdenek Sedlacek

  4. Institute of Psychology, Academy of Sciences, Veveri 97, 60200, Brno, Czech Republic

    Tomas Urbanek

  5. 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Kateřinska 32, 12108, Prague, Czech Republic

    Michal Hrdlicka

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  1. Iva Dudova
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Correspondence to Iva Dudova.

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Dudova, I., Vodicka, J., Havlovicova, M. et al. Odor detection threshold, but not odor identification, is impaired in children with autism. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 20, 333–340 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-011-0177-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-011-0177-1

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