Objective: Young patients admitted to the hospital due to anorexia nervosa report reduced pleasure and impaired perception of smell while eating. So far, two studies on odour identification ability in eating disorders did not suggest any significant deficits. Therefore a new and more detailed method of olfactory testing may be needed, in order to determine the subjective impairment of olfaction.
Method: By using all three subtests of the recently developed smell test called "Sniffin'Sticks", the olfactory deficits were assessed in more detail and the results of female anorectic patients (n = 17) were compared with those of healthy females (n = 15).
Results: By examining the anorectic patients no deficits in the subtest odour identification were found. On the contrary, in the subtests odour discrimination and odour threshold deficits of the anorectic patients were detected.
Conclusion: Reduced olfactory perception might be considered as a common deficit in anorexia nervosa with possible influences and consequences for therapy.