Smell Screening With a Mobile Test
Researchers evaluated a rapid, self-administered mobile application–based test designed to screen for olfactory dysfunction in adult participants.
By
Kathryn Wighton
February 5, 2026
Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of a novel mobile application-based olfactory screening test.
Approach: Key Findings: The mobile test achieved an area under the curve of 0.87. Sensitivity was 74% and specificity was 86%. Participants with self-reported olfactory dysfunction scored significantly lower (2.54) than those without (3.50). Test performance declined with increasing age. Interpretation: The novel olfactory screening tool is rapid, reliable, and correlates well with validated psychophysical tests.
Limitations: Conducted at a single center, limiting generalizability. Only a subset of participants completed the comparator test, reducing sample size for accuracy analyses. Different optimal cut points for test sets indicate they are not interchangeable. The test only assessed odor identification, not other olfactory functions. Conclusion: The study suggests the mobile olfactory screening test is a promising tool for identifying olfactory dysfunction.
Sources: