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Summary
This research study aims to investigate the function of the olfactory lining in the nasal cavity and its potential alterations in both healthy and diseased conditions. The olfactory lining is involved in the sense of smell. The purpose of this study is to collect tissue from the nasal cavity.
Official title: Analysis of Human Olfactory Biopsies
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
125
Start Date
2025-01-06
Completion Date
2028-12-31
Last Updated
2025-06-24
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
olfactory testing
Patients will undergo smell testing, using the Smell Identification Test (Sensonics), a validated widely-used 40-item "scratch-and-sniff" style psychophysical test to determine olfactory function.
Odor stimulation
subset of patients will be asked to sniff a specific odor for about an hour, using commercially available "odor pens" (Sniffin' Sticks or Sensonics). These odor pens are widely used for olfactory training therapy, a treatment designed to help people with some forms of smell loss; they are also used in psychophysical olfactory testing.
Olfactory biopsy
Biopsy involves a simple cytology brush technique of the lining of the nose in a region called the olfactory cleft, using a nasal endoscope, and can be done in clinic or in the operating room at the time of a nasal surgery. Topical oxymetazoline and tetracaine spray is applied to the nasal cavity, a rigid nasal endoscopy (0-degree 4 mm endoscope, Karl Storz) is performed to visualize the olfactory cleft, and a small nasal cytology brush biopsy (Hobbs Medical)is performed by swabbing and rotating brush gently in the olfactory cleft. Cytology sample is placed into a buffer (Hibernate-E, Thermo Fisher)on ice for transport to the research lab.
Locations (1)
Duke University Health Center
Durham, North Carolina, United States