SynthesisChemical senses2016
The Association Between Olfaction and Depression: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Chemical senses, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 169 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
169 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A systematic narrative review of the form, process, and function of sensory hyposensitivity in depression.Translational psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Association of Olfactory Impairment With All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.JAMA otolaryngology-- head & neck surgery · 2022Pooled it
- Psychophysical chemosensory dysfunction in eating disorders: a qualitative systematic review.Eating and weight disorders : EWD · 2022Pooled it
- Treatment strategies for postviral olfactory dysfunction: A systematic review.Allergy and asthma proceedings · 2022Pooled it
- Olfaction in pregnancy: systematic review and meta-analysis.Chemical senses · 2022Pooled it
- Treatment of post-viral olfactory dysfunction: an evidence-based review with recommendations.International forum of allergy & rhinology · 2020Pooled it
- Olfactory Dysfunction in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Meta-analytic Review of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2020Pooled it
- Modulating salience network connectivity through olfactory nerve stimulation.Translational psychiatry · 2025Trial
- Enhanced Taste Recognition Following Subacute Treatment With The Dopamine D2/D3 Receptor Agonist Pramipexole in Healthy Volunteers.The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2022Trial
- Testicular cancer patients undergoing cisplatin based chemotherapy exhibit temporary olfactory threshold scores changes.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2017Trial
- Impacts of different treatment methods on patients with COVID-related olfactory dysfunction: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2026Article
- Emotional Burden of Olfactory Dysfunction: A Psychological Cluster Analysis from a Tertiary Smell and Taste Clinic.International forum of allergy & rhinology · 2026Article
- Comparing Quality of Life in Smell and Taste Disorders With Other Chronic Conditions-A Narrative Review.Clinical otolaryngology : official journal of ENT-UK ; official journal of Netherlands Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Cervico-Facial Surgery · 2026Review
- Recovery of Parosmia Preferentially Influences Longitudinal Improvement of Quality of Life in C19OD.International forum of allergy & rhinology · 2026Article
- A new framework for the labeling of odors in the Sniffin' Sticks odor identification test: relevance of familiarity and test-retest assessment.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Article
- Olfactory-Related Quality of Life After Endoscopic Transsphenoidal Surgery.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2026Article
- High sulfur and nitrogen foods are the main triggers of parosmia.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Article
- Integrating Non-Invasive Physical and Behavioral Indicators Into Routine Health Check-ups for Detecting Early Depression in Older Adults Living Alone.Journal of Korean medical science · 2026Article
- Correlating symptoms and skin α-synuclein seeding parameters in olfactory dysfunction and Lewy body dementia.Journal of neurology · 2026Article
- Human olfactory sensitivity varies across geographical locations.Scientific reports · 2026Article
109 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Previous studies on the relationship between olfaction and depression have revealed mixed results. In addition, few have focused on the reciprocity of this association. The aim of this study is to combine depression and olfactory data in two separate patient populations to further understand their association. A systematic literature review was conducted using 3 online databases to identify studies correlating olfaction and depression in patients presenting with either primary depression or primary olfactory dysfunction. For the depressed population, weighted means and standard deviations for the Sniffin' Sticks Test and the 40-item Smell Identification Test were combined using 10 studies. For the olfactory dysfunction population, weighted means of Beck's Depression Inventory were combined using 3 studies. Independent t-tests were used to compare differences between groups. Comparing primary depressed patients with controls, depressed patients showed decreased scores in olfactory threshold (6.31±1.38 vs. 6.78±0.88, P = 0.0005), discrimination (12.05±1.44 vs. 12.66±1.36, P = 0.0073), identification (12.57±0.74 vs. 12.98±0.90, P < 0.0001), and 40-Item Smell Identification Test (35.31±1.91 vs. 37.41±1.45, P < 0.0001). In patients with primary olfactory dysfunction, Beck's Depression Inventory scores were significantly different between patients classified as normosmics, hyposmics and anosmics (5.21±4.73 vs. 10.93±9.25 vs. 14.15±5.39, P ≤ 0.0274 for all 3 comparisons). In conclusion, patients with depression have reduced olfactory performance when compared with the healthy controls and conversely, patients with olfactory dysfunction, have symptoms of depression that worsen with severity of smell loss.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.