Scentcare: A novel At-Home Olfactory Training and Testing Device
Program:
Biomedical Engineering
Project Description:
Olfactory Dysfunction (OD) refers to disruptions in an individual’s ability to smell and has a host of etiologies ranging from viral infection to nasal obstructions. Additionally, OD is closely linked to various cognitive and psychiatric deficiencies such as depression and Alzheimer’s Disease in the elderly. Studies have estimated the worldwide prevalence of OD to be as high as 25%. Furthermore, certain forms of OD can be rectified through smell-training regimens which seek to take advantage of neuroplasticity pathways. Despite this, many OD patients remain undiagnosed because they are unaware of their own smell-loss and never report their symptoms to physicians. Thus, there is incentive to elevate rates of OD diagnosis in order to improve the olfactory health of the general population and, subsequently, provide clinicians with a vital datapoint elucidating their patients’ olfactory function which may play a role in other pathologies. The purpose of this study is to verify and validate a proposed device which seeks to fulfill the dual-purpose of reliable at-home smell-training and testing. Verification tests will be performed in order to ensure the proper-functioning of the device while validation tests will be conducted in selected patient populations to confirm the efficacy of the device in improving sense of smell.
Team Members
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Project Mentors, Sponsors, and Partners
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Nicholas Rowan, MD (Clinical Mentor)
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Antony Fuleihan (TA)
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Duncan Watley, MD (Committee Member)
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Andrew Lane, MD (Committee Member)
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Vidya Kamath, PhD (Committee Member)
Course Faculty
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