CHANGES IN OLFACTORY SENSITIVITY WITH AGE

Abstract

THE HUMAN PERCEPTION OF ODOUR MIXTURES, CONSISTING OF DIVERSE CHEMICALS OF VARIED COMPOSITIONS, PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HUMAN FOOD INTAKE, BEHAVIOR, AND EMOTIONS. THE SPECIFIC SENSITIVITY TEST WAS DEVELOPED WITH TEN ODOURANTS OF HIGH FAMILIARITY TO THE ASIAN POPULATION IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE ONSET AND EXTENT OF LOSS OF OLFACTORY FUNCTIONS TOWARDS THESE SINGLE ODOURANTS WITH AGE. THE SPECIFIC SENSITIVITY TEST WAS VALIDATED AND USED TO ASSESS THE OLFACTORY FUNCTION OF 281 SINGAPOREANS OF CHINESE ETHNICITY, AGED 21-80 YEARS. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IDENTIFICATION ABILITY AND THRESHOLD SENSITIVITY OF THE SAME ODOURANTS WAS ALSO EXPLORED FOR THE FIRST TIME. TO COMPENSATE FOR DIFFERENTIATED OLFACTORY LOSS AND INCREASE PALATABILITY OF FOODS CONSUMED BY THE ELDERLY, THE FLAVOUR MODIFICATION METHOD WAS DEVELOPED TO ADJUST MANGO AND COFFEE FLAVOURS ACCORDING TO FINDINGS FROM THE SPECIFIC SENSITIVITY TEST. THE MODIFIED FLAVOURS WERE ADDED IN BEVERAGE APPLICATIONS AND EVALUATED FOR HEDONIC