Olfactory dysfunction linked to disease activity and more
Olfactory dysfunction may occur in 20% to 45% of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a literature review.
The review also uncovered findings that suggest a relationship between mood disorders, cognition, and olfactory dysfunction in MS, reported Elizabeth B. Lucassen, MD, of the Pennsylvania State University-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, and colleagues.
Not only can olfactory dysfunction frequently be measured in MS patients, but both threshold and identification deficits can be observed, the investigators wrote online in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.
They also noted that olfactory dysfunction in MS correlates with disability, as measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), and that measurements of olfactory dysfunction may wax and wane with relapses.
Article provided by: Cherie C. Binns RN BS MSCN – Clinical Systems Consulting