Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41830161›Full record

Observational studyInternational forum of allergy & rhinology2026

Determining the Minimal Clinically Important Difference of the 40-Item Smell Identification Test in People With Cystic Fibrosis.

Eugene Oh, Jessa E Miller, Michelle J Lee, Anna Zemke, David Baraghoshi, Matthew J Strand, Jeremiah A Alt, Todd E Bodner, Michael Chang, Naweed I Chowdhury and 25 more

Abstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in International forum of allergy & rhinology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

35 authors.

Eugene OhUniversity of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6350-1422
Jessa E MillerDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Michelle J LeeDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Anna ZemkeDivision of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7722-6708
David BaraghoshiDivision of Biostatistics, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Matthew J StrandDivision of Biostatistics, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Jeremiah A AltDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0560-5028
Todd E BodnerDepartment of Psychology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA.
Michael ChangDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA.
Naweed I ChowdhuryDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Patricia H EshaghianDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Anne E GetzDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
Jennifer L GoralskiDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
David A GudisDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1938-9349
Peter H HwangDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0786-4675
Ashoke KhanwalkarDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9960-7758
Adam J KimpleDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Jivianne T LeeDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Douglas A LiDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Jess C MaceDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5009-3426
Jayakar V NayakDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4454-0861
Jonathan B OverdevestDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1152-2512
Zara PatelDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA.
Daniella K SafatianDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Rodney J SchlosserDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6480-0275
Brent SeniorDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1503-3150
Amanda L StapletonDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Timothy L SmithDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6424-7083
Zachary M SolerDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
Jeffrey D SuhDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Grant A TurnerDepartment of Pulmonary Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Marilene B WangDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Milene T SaavedraDepartment of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Jennifer L Taylor-CousarDepartment of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Daniel M BeswickDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8612-5442

Funding

UNC-CH CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH &SUSCEPTIBILITYP30ES010126 · NIEHS · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Hazel B Nichols · 2001 to 2026
$36.3M
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation BESWIC20A0Cystic Fibrosis Foundation BESWIC22Y5Cystic Fibrosis Foundation TAYLOR19A0NIEHS NIH HHS P30 ES010126
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and olfactory dysfunction (OD) are highly prevalent among people with cystic fibrosis (PwCF) and negatively impact quality of life. The 40-item Smell Identification Test (SIT) is widely used to assess psychophysical olfaction, but a CF-specific minimal clinically important difference (MCID) has not been established. This study aimed to determine the SIT MCID in PwCF treated with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) and/or endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).

methodsData from three prospective, multi-institutional observational studies were pooled. Participants were ≥12 years old with confirmed CF and CRS who completed SIT at baseline and ≥1 follow-up (3, 6, 9, 12, or 24 months). Distribution-based MCIDs were calculated using four methods: standard error of measurement (SEM), minimal detectable change (MDC = 1.96 × SEM), 0.5 × baseline standard deviation (SD), and 0.5 × SD of change scores (ΔSD).

resultsA total of 122 participants were enrolled (mean age 32.9 years, 54% female). Of these, 99 contributed follow-up SIT scores (79 ETI, 20 ESS). SIT scores remained stable with ETI, with a small but statistically significant decline at 6 months (-1.4, p = 0.02). ESS was associated with mean gains of 3.1-4.5 points at early follow-up, though these did not reach significance. Pooled distribution-based MCID estimates ranged from 2 to 4 points, with an overall threshold of 3.1 (95% CI: 2.1-4.1).

conclusionsThis CF-specific SIT threshold provides a clinically interpretable cut-off for assessing olfaction. These findings establish a foundation for future work and highlight the importance of developing disease-specific MCIDs to guide clinical care and research.

Indexed as

Cystic FibrosisMinimal Clinically Important DifferenceOlfaction DisordersRhinosinusitisSmellAdolescentAdultChronic DiseaseEndoscopyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesQuality of LifeYoung Adultchronic rhinosinustisendoscopic sinus surgerymedical therapy of chronic rhinosinusitisolfactionolfactory disordersolfactory testUPSIT

Identifiers

PMID41830161
PMCPMC13544498

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.