Application research and development of objective examination of olfactory function

Abstract

The sense of smell is one of the five most primitive human sensory functions, and it plays a very important role in our daily lives. Despite numerous methods for evaluating olfactory function, there is still a lack of standardization of olfactory tests and the results are often inconsistent. Furthermore, the related research on objective evaluation started relatively late. Along with the deciphering of the olfactory pathway, the technical level of olfactory objective inspection has been greatly improved and significant progress has also been made in terms of clinical application, such as: olfactory pathway MRI and fMRI imaging, OERPs, BEAM for various olfactory disorders and early diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders, as well as related research based on bionic olfactory sensing technology. This article mainly introduces the recent research progress of several commonly used objective olfactory tests and provides reference for more accurate evaluation of olfactory function.