Older Adult Normative Data for the Sniffin' Sticks Odor Identification Test

Objective: The current study establishes normative Sniffin' Sticks Odor Identification Test (SS-OIT) scores for cognitively intact older adults. Method: Two hundred and twenty-six cognitively normal older adults were identified as eligible for the current study (Mean Age=70.49 years; 71.7% female). Important demographic covariates were identified using step-wise regression, and a normative regression equation was developed. Results: Analyses of the effects of demographic variables (including age, education, and sex) on SS-OIT performance revealed that age was the only significant predictor, b=-0.07, SEb=.01, p<.01. A final regression equation was determined and normative data are reported in 5-year increments for a number of percentile ranks. Conclusions: Normative performance on the SS-OIT for adults over the age of 50 was established in a large and demographically diverse sample. These data are needed in order for clinicians to be able to include olfactory testing, a sensitive marker of neurodegeneration, in their assessment armamentarium.