We demonstrated that the lack of airflow is, indeed, a prime contributor to the hyposmia associated with laryngectomy. This was done in a cross-sectional study by providing laryngectomized patients with a larynx bypass which allowed them to sniff odorants with near normal sniff airflows. Furthermore, with the reestablished airflow of the larynx bypass all the laryngectomees reached the """"""""normal"""""""" non-laryngectomy detection threshold for ammonia, but for vanillin 40% of the patients did not reach the """"""""normal"""""""" level and some could not detect it at all. However, on the basis of this cross-sectional study we could not conclude that whereas the lack of airflow was the sole explanation for the laryngectomy-induced hyposmia to ammonia (a strong trigeminal irritant), other mechanisms must be involved for vanillin (a non- trigeminal odorant). First, we could not know the patients' presurgical detection thresholds and, perhaps, the reestablished airflow did bring their vanillin thresholds back to their own presurgical levels. Secondly, we could not evaluate whether the patients duplicated with the larynx bypass their individual sniff characteristics which maximized their presurgical sensitivity. Therefore, to pursue the possibility that lack of nasal airflow contributes differentially to the hyposmia of laryngectomy depending upon the odorant and neural input, we will use a longitudinal experimental design in which each patient's olfactory ability and sniff characteristics are measured before surgery and at several points in time after surgery. In addition, we will extend our tests of olfactory ability to include a confusion matrix, magnitude estimations and the UPSIT. We will determine whether olfactory ability is related to the elapsed time since laryngectomy and/or proficiency at esophageal speech. We will explore the possibility that olfactory deficits in laryngectomees can be prevented or reversed by repeated exposures to the nasal flow of odorized air and we will begin looking at the possibility of a """"""""memory"""""""" component in the olfactory dysfunction of long-term laryngectomees. Finally, we will assess whether laryngectomy leads to any morphological changes in the olfactory mucosa.

Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
1990
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Upstate Medical University
Department
Type
DUNS #
058889106
City
Syracuse
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
13210
Youngentob, Steven L; Schwob, James E (2006) Odorant identification and quality perception following methyl bromide-induced lesions of the olfactory epithelium. Behav Neurosci 120:1346-55
Holbrook, Eric H; Leopold, Donald A; Schwob, James E (2005) Abnormalities of axon growth in human olfactory mucosa. Laryngoscope 115:2144-54
White, Theresa L; Kurtz, Daniel B (2003) The relationship between metacognitive awareness of olfactory ability and age in people reporting chemosensory disturbances. Am J Psychol 116:99-110
Schwob, J E; Saha, S; Youngentob, S L et al. (2001) Intranasal inoculation with the olfactory bulb line variant of mouse hepatitis virus causes extensive destruction of the olfactory bulb and accelerated turnover of neurons in the olfactory epithelium of mice. Chem Senses 26:937-52
Youngentob, S L; Schwob, J E; Saha, S et al. (2001) Functional consequences following infection of the olfactory system by intranasal infusion of the olfactory bulb line variant (OBLV) of mouse hepatitis strain JHM. Chem Senses 26:953-63
Hornung, D E; Smith, D J; Kurtz, D B et al. (2001) Effect of nasal dilators on nasal structures, sniffing strategies, and olfactory ability. Rhinology 39:84-7
Kurtz, D B; Sheehe, P R; Kent, P F et al. (2000) Odorant quality perception: a metric individual differences approach. Percept Psychophys 62:1121-9
Kurtz, D B; White, T L; Hayes, M (2000) The labeled dissimilarity scale: a metric of perceptual dissimilarity. Percept Psychophys 62:152-61
Schwob, J E; Youngentob, S L; Ring, G et al. (1999) Reinnervation of the rat olfactory bulb after methyl bromide-induced lesion: timing and extent of reinnervation. J Comp Neurol 412:439-57
Kurtz, D B; White, T L; Hornung, D E et al. (1999) What a tangled web we weave: discriminating between malingering and anosmia. Chem Senses 24:697-700

Showing the most recent 10 out of 32 publications