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CompuSniff introduces the Sniff Magnitude Test A rapid, reliable and inexpensive method for evaluating the sense of smell BackgroundThe Sniff Magnitude Test uses a novel approach to the evaluation of olfactory function. Developed by Drs. Robert Frank and Robert Gesteland, the test is administered by having patients sniff several odor canisters while the sniff response is measured. Olfactory function is assessed by comparing patterns of sniff responses to the canisters- some with and some without odors. The Sniff Magnitude Test is portable, is administered in five minutes or less and, in contrast to most other tests, easily can be used with young children, older adults and people from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. This is due to the minimal demands of the test on intellectual and language abilities 
How it works
The Sniff Magnitude Test is based on the fact that a reflex-like reduction in sniffing occurs when an odor is encountered. Sniffs to canisters containing nothing but non-odorized air are longer than sniffs to those containing an odor and this difference can be taken as a measure of smell function. When a patient's sense of smell is impaired, this normal decrease in sniffing is reduced or eliminated. Patients wear a nasal cannula connected to a piezoelectric pressure transducer and sniff a canister containing either an odorant stimulus or non-odorized air. The drop in pressure at the external nares induced by sniffing is sensed by the transducer which triggers the odor canister to open, exposing the patient to the odor in the canister. Pressure readings are collected every 10 milliseconds during the duration of a single sniff. The measure used in the test is reduction in sniff size to the odor compared to non-odorized air.
How can the Sniff Magnitude Test be used? The Sniff Magnitude Test is designed to assess loss of the sense of smell. It can be used by otolaryngologists, neurologists, psychiatrists and neuropsychologists with interests in evaluating olfactory function in a variety of patient populations. Loss or impairment of the sense of smell is a common problem, especially in older adults. It has been estimated that 50% of those between the ages of 65 and 80 suffer significant loss of olfactory function. Loss of olfactory abilities is associated with nasal/sinus disease, upper respiratory infections and head trauma. Smell loss also is an early warning sign for a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Down's syndrome, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis. How does the Sniff Magnitude Test compare to other tests of olfaction? The Sniff Magnitude Test is reliable and repeatable. Test-retest reliability is in the 0.8 range and the test results are highly correlated with odor threshold measurements, performance on the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) and other tests of olfactory ability. What are the major advantages of the Sniff Magnitude Test?
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