Variable Details

Available Studies

ROS, MAP, MARS, Clinical Core, LATC

Scaled? 

Not Scaled

Variable Type 

Longitudinal

Variable Name 

total_smell_test

Categories

Olfaction

Brief Smell Identification Test
Measure of odor identificaiton using the Brief Smell Identification Test

The brief smell test assesses the ability to recognize familiar odors. This variable is measured using the Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT), a 12-item version of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test.

For each item, a microcapsule containing a familiar odor is scratched with a pencil and placed under the participant's nose. The participant is then asked to match the smell with one of four specific answer choices (e.g., motor oil, garlic, rose, lemon).

The total score is the number of odors that are correctly recognized. Missing responses are assigned a partial score of 0.25. If more than 2 responses are missing, the entire test is treated as missing.

Note: Performance on the Brief Smell Identification Test has been shown to correspond to the full 40-item University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test from which it was derived.

Response choices (correct answer is in bold):

Item no.Option 1Option 2Option 3Option 4
1FruitCinnamonA woody smellCoconut
2TurpentineSoapDogBlack pepper
3Motor oilGarlicRoseLemon
4ApplesGrassSmokeGrape
5LemonChocolateStrawberryBlack pepper
6MintRoseLimeFruit
7WatermelonPeanutRosePaint thinner
8BananaGarlicCherryMotor oil
9SmokeWhiskeyPineappleOnion
10RoseLemonAppleGasoline
11SoapBlack pepperChocolatePeanut
12ChocolateBananaOnionFruit

Publications