Journal article
Updated Percentiles for the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test in Adults 50 Years of Age and Older
Neurology, Vol.100(16), pp.e1691-e1701
04/18/2023
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207077
PMCID: PMC10115503
PMID: 36849448
Abstract
The University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) is commonly used to assess olfaction and screen for early detection of disorders including Parkinson's (PD) and Alzheimer's disease. Our objective was to develop updated percentiles, based on substantially larger samples than previous norms, to more finely discriminate age- and sex-specific UPSIT performance among ≥50-year-old adults who may be candidates for studies of prodromal neurodegenerative diseases.
The UPSIT was administered cross-sectionally to participants recruited between 2007-2010 and 2013-2015 for the Parkinson Associated Risk Syndrome (PARS) and Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) cohort studies, respectively. Exclusion criteria included age <50 years and a confirmed or suspected PD diagnosis. Demographics, family history, and prodromal features of PD including self-reported hyposmia were collected. Normative data including means, standard deviations, and percentiles were derived by age and sex.
The analytic sample included 9,396 individuals (5,336 females, 4,060 males), aged 50-95, who were predominantly White, non-Hispanic US residents. UPSIT percentiles were derived and are provided across seven age categories (50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and ≥80) for females and males separately; relative to existing norms, subgroups included between 2.4-20 times as many participants. Olfactory function declined with age and was better among women than men; accordingly, the percentile corresponding to a given raw score varied markedly by age and sex. UPSIT performance was comparable among individuals with vs without first-degree family history of PD. Comparisons of self-reported hyposmia vs UPSIT percentiles indicated a strong association (chi-squared P<0.0001), but minimal agreement (Cohen's simple kappa [95% CI]: = 0.32 [0.28-0.36] for females; 0.34 [0.30-0.38] for males).
Updated age/sex-specific UPSIT percentiles are provided for ≥50-year-old adults who reflect a population likely to be recruited into studies of prodromal neurodegenerative diseases. Our findings highlight the potential advantages of evaluating olfaction relative to age and sex instead of in absolute terms (e.g., based on raw UPSIT scores) or based on subjective (i.e., self-reported) measures. This information addresses the need to support studies of disorders including PD and Alzheimer's disease by providing updated normative data from a larger sample of older adults.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Updated Percentiles for the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test in Adults 50 Years of Age and Older
- Creators
- Michael C Brumm - Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA michael-brumm@uiowa.eduKerri A Pierz - University of IowaDavid-Erick Lafontant - University of IowaChelsea Caspell-Garcia - University of IowaChristopher S Coffey - University of IowaAndrew Siderowf - University of PennsylvaniaKenneth Marek - Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Neurology, Vol.100(16), pp.e1691-e1701
- DOI
- 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207077
- PMID
- 36849448
- PMCID
- PMC10115503
- NLM abbreviation
- Neurology
- ISSN
- 0028-3878
- eISSN
- 1526-632X
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 02/27/2023
- Date published
- 04/18/2023
- Academic Unit
- Biostatistics
- Record Identifier
- 9984368421302771
Metrics
6 Record Views