CORE--SENSORY CORE

Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Sensory Core provides a stable center for the ongoing activities of the CCRC and support to the individual Projects associated with the Center. The Core assumes major responsibility for the assessment of chemosensory function and dysfunction. It has established a clinic to evaluate referred patients with complaints of abnormal smell or taste function, providing psychophysical, otolaryngological and oral health assessments. Through the clinic, we have been able, for example, to (1) characterize smell and taste disorders in a large sample of patients, (2) assess the clinical utility of various methods of chemosensory testing and develop procedures to provide new insights into the nature and degree of chemosensory dysfunction, (3) assess the impact of age on chemosensory dysfunction, and (4) establish a systematic patient follow-up program, which is beginning to yield information that will both broaden our understanding of various forms of chemosensory dysfunction and enable us to provide patients with accurate prognostic information. We propose to continue and expand these types of general clinical activities, building on projects begun in the current funding period (e.g., the development of a clinical test of retronasal olfactory function and of a questionnaire to assess the impact of chemosensory dysfunction on quality of life). The Core facility also serves a general resource for the CCRC and is critical to the success of clinical research projects, providing access to, and consistent chemosensory and otolaryngological evaluation of, defined patient populations. In the proposed renewal, the Core plays a key role in identifying, recruiting and testing patients and/or normal control subjects for individual Projects of the CCRC, and in coordinating Project activities.