Abstract
Post-traumatic olfactory dysfunction (PTOD) is associated with a significant decrease in quality of life. The present study aimed to explore whether PTOD is associated with depression and changes in sexuality. There were two groups in this case–control study. The patient group consisted of patients with PTOD (n = 55), and the control group comprised healthy individuals without the olfactory disorder (n = 115). Olfactory function, depression, partnership, and sexual satisfaction were assessed using the Iranian version of the Sniffin’ Sticks test (Ir-SST), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Enrich Couple Scale (ECS) and Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women (SSSW). The BDI scores were higher in the patient group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The SSSW score was lower in the patient group than in controls (p < 0.01), although the ECS score was not significantly different between patients and controls. Also, there was no significant difference in the severity of trauma between marital satisfaction and sexual satisfaction. However, the analysis showed a statistically significant difference in depression scores in connection with the head trauma severity. In the PTOD group, depression was increased and sexual satisfaction declined. Understanding the association of olfactory dysfunction with depression and sexuality allows patients and doctors to deal with less notable consequences of this disorder.
Highlights
Post-traumatic olfactory dysfunction (PTOD) is associated with a significant decrease in quality of life
A significant difference was observed in gender distribution between the two groups (p < 0.001) so that there were more men in the PTOD group
The mean scores of depression were significantly higher in the patient group than in the healthy group (p < 0.001) (Table 1)
Summary
Post-traumatic olfactory dysfunction (PTOD) is associated with a significant decrease in quality of life. The present study aimed to explore whether PTOD is associated with depression and changes in sexuality. Understanding the association of olfactory dysfunction with depression and sexuality allows patients and doctors to deal with less notable consequences of this disorder. Many studies have attempted to explore the effects of olfactory dysfunction on different aspects of life. In a sample of patients with olfactory disorders, Gudziol et al.[24] observed that sexual problems were not directly associated with olfactory function. Rather, they were linked to the depression symptoms caused by olfactory loss. Previous research has shown a bi-directional link between olfactory impairment and d epression[25], as olfactory and emotional processes are in overlapping brain structures and any alterations in one network can affect the other domains
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