Olfactory (smell) testing is one of the most interesting and revealing individual neurologic tests in psychiatric research. It is also one of the most neglected tests in the clinical practice of psychiatry. There are several diagnostic applications of smell testing in clinical psychiatry. This review covers reasons for the psychiatrist to test olfaction, ways of testing olfaction, and how to interpret test results.
Keywords: cranial nerve examination; mental status examination; neuropsychiatry; olfaction; psychiatry and neurology; sense of smell.