By correlating the degree of nasal obstruction to olfactory thresholds, these investigators concluded that, as the nose becomes more obstructed, olfactory ability decreases.

Schneider and Wolf 1 used 656 rhinoscopic measurements to assess the degree of nasal obstruction in 8 patients. As an example, consider the improvement in olfactory ability that sometimes results in patients who have had nasal polyps removed. Although not yet described quantitatively, a relationship may exist between nasal anatomy and olfactory ability. As nasal anatomy affects the pattern of airflow through the nose, it in turn affects the access of odorant molecules to the olfactory cleft (the head space above the olfactory receptors). THE REGIONAL anatomy of the nasal cavity determines the course that incoming air takes as it moves toward the lungs. Also, anatomical differences in the nasal cavities of men and women may account, in part, for sex differences in olfactory ability. Results After correcting for sex differences, a mathematical model was developed in which the volume of 6 regions of the nasal cavity, 6 first-order interactions, and 3 second-order interactions accounted for 97% of the variation in the measure of olfactory ability.Ĭonclusions Increases in the size of compartments of the nasal cavity around the olfactory cleft generally increase olfactory ability. Participants Nineteen patients with hyposmia whose olfactory losses were thought to be related to conductive disorders. Objective To examine the relationship between uninasal anatomy and olfactory ability.ĭesign A stepwise analysis of variance was used to regress the logarithm of the percentage of correct responses on the Odorant Confusion Matrix (a measure of olfactory ability) against the logarithm of nasal volume measurements determined from computed tomographic scans.

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Nostril shapes