terça-feira, 28 de julho de 2009

Olfactory perception in adolescents: a descritive study

Abstract The authors interview 125 11- to 17-year-old teenagers from public state school in the city of São Paulo, testing a 12 different smell battery. It was first asked to identify them without any facilitating stimulus, and immediately after that it was asked their identification from 4 alternatives for each smell, with another presentation of the stimulus 25 days after, without any facilitating stimulus. Data was analyzed by T test and variance analysis (ANOVA). A little recognizing index was observed on first exposition, with total recognition with the 4 alternatives presentation and partial recognition, higher than by the first exposition, 25 days after. There were no differences due to their age and some of the smells were more easily recognizable than others. The conclusion is that smells nomination depends on learning even if differences between them are perceived. In the same way, learning shows its importance to data storage, what is perceived on the 25-day after presentation. Although the test cannot be used through a cut point which defines normal and patologic, it can be used to evaluate different neuropsychiatric disordered populations, to gradually establish normality patterns.

Reconhecimento olfativo em adolescentes - Trabalho realizado como parte das atividades do projeto “Distúrbios do desenvolvimento”, Departamento de Psicologia Clínica do IPUSP.
Francisco B. Assumpção Jr. - Professor associado do Departamento de Psicologia Clínica, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo. Endereço para correspondência: cassiterides@usp.br
Samantha Adamo - Fonoaudióloga, Departamento de Psicologia Clínica, Instituto de Psicologia, Universidade de São Paulo.

Nenhum comentário: