Home › Research › Down syndrome and Alzheimer's
Olfaction in People with Down Syndrome: A Comprehensive Assessment across Four Decades of Age
Cecchini MP, Viviani D, Sandri M, Hähner A, Hummel T, Zancanaro C.. PloS one, 2016-01-05
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background Down syndrome (DS) shows neuropathology similar to Alzheimer disease, which presents olfactory impairment. Previous work showed olfactory impairment in DS, but a comprehensive evaluation of olfactory function in DS is lacking. Methods We investigated a large number (n = 56; M = 31, F = 25) DS participants (age range18-57y) using the "Sniffin' Sticks" Extended test. This comprises three subtests (threshold, discrimination, and identification) yielding a global score (TDI) defining normosmia, hyposmia, and functional anosmia. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second largest group of DS people investigated for olfactory function ever. Age- and sex matched euploid individuals (n = 53) were the control. Results In DS, TDI was lower (16.7±5.13 vs. 35.4±3.74; P Conclusion Olfactory function is overall severely impaired in DS people and may be globally impaired at relatively young age, despite of reportedly normal smell. However, specificity of this olfactory profile to DS should be considered with some caution because cognition was not evaluated in all DS participants and comparison with a control group of non-DS individuals having cognitive disabilities was lacking. Further study is required to longitudinally assess olfactory dysfunction in DS and to correlate it with brain pathology.
Key findings
- Results In DS, TDI was lower (16.7±5.13 vs. 35.4±3.74; P Conclusion Olfactory function is overall severely impaired in DS people and may be globally impaired at relatively young age, despite of reportedly normal smell.
Why it matters
This study found that smell function was severely impaired in 56 people with Down syndrome compared with controls, even at relatively young ages. The authors note that cognition was not evaluated in all participants and that further study is needed, so this does not establish a treatment or prevention.
Study details
- Participants56
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (PloS one) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | PLoS ONE: journal h-index 594 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2016 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 56 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 30 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.5 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Carlo Zancanaro: h-index 34 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Verona: institution h-index 763 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26730728) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Cecchini, M. P., Viviani, D., Sandri, M., Hähner, A., Hummel, T., & Zancanaro, C. (2016). Olfaction in People with Down Syndrome: A Comprehensive Assessment across Four Decades of Age. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0146486
Vancouver
Cecchini MP, Viviani D, Sandri M, Hähner A, Hummel T, Zancanaro C. Olfaction in People with Down Syndrome: A Comprehensive Assessment across Four Decades of Age. PloS one. 2016. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0146486. PMID: 26730728.
BibTeX
@article{cecchini2016-26730728,
author = {Cecchini, M. P. and Viviani, D. and Sandri, M. and Hähner, A. and Hummel, T. and Zancanaro, C.},
title = {{Olfaction in People with Down Syndrome: A Comprehensive Assessment across Four Decades of Age}},
journal = {PloS one},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0146486},
pmid = {26730728},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0146486}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in Down syndrome and Alzheimer's
Also tagged “down”
527 studies in the library carry the topic tag “down”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 527 tagged studies.