Olfactory Function in Depressed Adolescents.

Some researchers have suggested that olfactory deficits might be a sensitive marker for depression in adults. However, olfactory function has not been well studied in relation to depression among children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of depression on olfactory function of adolescents. The olfactory threshold, odor identification, and discrimination abilities of adolescents aged 12 to 17 (43 adolescents with major depressive disorder and 43 healthy controls) alongside their sum were evaluated using the Sniffin' Sticks extended test. Olfactory scores were similar between the groups. However, depressed adolescents perceived their own olfactory function scores significantly lower than the measured values. No correlation was found between olfactory scores and age, sex, severity of depression, and duration of depression. This study conducted with a small sample size revealed that olfactory function of the adolescents with depression was similar to olfactory function of the healthy adolescents. It is required to conduct further adequately powered, longitudinal studies in order to verify these results.