Olfactory Deficits in Individuals at Risk of Psychosis
Poster C130, Saturday, October 22, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Le Baron
Tsutomu Takahashi1, Mihoko Nakamura1, Daiki Sasabayashi1, Yumiko Nishikawa1, Yuko Higuchi1, Yuko Komori1, Shimako Nishiyama1, Hiroko Itoh1, Michio Suzuki1; 1Toyama University
1. Purpose: Olfactory deficits have been reported in early stages of schizophrenia, suggesting its potential role as a stable biological marker. However, it remains unclear whether the olfactory deficits exist prior to the onset of psychosis. The preset study aimed to examine olfactory function and its relation to clinical variables in subjects with at-risk mental state (ARMS). 2.Materials and Methods: We investigated the detection and recognition thresholds for five different odors in 26 ARMS (16 males, mean age = 18.0 years) and 52 healthy (33 males, mean age = 22.0 years) subjects using a T&T olfactometer; mean thresholds for the five odorants were used for statistical analyses. The ARMS subjects were also assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS), Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). 3.Results: The ARMS subjects had significantly higher detection (p < 0.05) and recognition (p < 0.01) thresholds as compared with healthy subjects. The olfactory ability did not correlate with medication (duration, dose), GAF, and SOFAS scores, but a higher recognition threshold was correlated with the severity of negative symptoms (rho = 0.4960, p = 0.010) in the ARMS group. 4.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated significant olfactory deficits (increased thresholds) in the ARMS individuals. Given that only two subjects among the present ARMS cohort have developed psychosis during clinical follow-up, further work in a larger ARMS sample is required to examine possible relation between the olfaction and emergence of psychosis.
Topic Area: Ultra High Risk / Prodromal Research