Phantom Odor Perception

DLH health data analyst and senior project manager Danita Byrd-Clark is among the authors of an article in JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery that describes an analysis of population-based epidemiologic data to estimate the prevalence of phantom odor perception and identify factors associated with this potentially debilitating condition. Highlights of the analysis include age-related declines in symptoms among women; a higher prevalence among those on the lower socioeconomic status hierarchy; and medication use and serious head injuries as potential explanations. The article is coauthored with researchers from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and the University of Vermont Medical Center.