Elucidation of Sensory Characteristics and Food Preferences in the Elderly

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Malnutrition is a frequent problem in persons older than 65 years: the prevalence of malnutrition can reach 25 to 29% in persons living at home who require help, figures vary between 19 and 38% for those living in institutions, and finally, the prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized elderly patients can reach 30 to 90%. A few studies have attempted to explain modifications in attitudes, behaviour, the frequency of meals or nutritional status in the elderly by a fall in chemosensory sensitivity The aim of this project is to test the hypothesis that perhaps it is not as much the capacity to perceive a smell or a taste that affects eating behaviour in the elderly as their ability to distinguish between smells or tastes on the one hand (perceptual processing), and their ability to correctly interpret a chemosensory signal on the other (cognitive processing).

Official Title
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Elucidation of Sensory Characteristics and Food Preferences in the Elderly

Conditions
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Malnutrition

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: smell and taste tests


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Persons older than 65 years. Persons with diabetes, heart disease or hypertension stabilized by a treatment. Persons cognitively able to carry out the tests and fill in the questionnaires (Folstein test between 22 and 30). Exclusion Criteria: Any person suffering from an acute disease at the time of the test. Any person presenting any allergy whatsoever (food, mites, pollen…). Any person suffering from asthma or severe respiratory disorders (lung cancer, tracheotomy…). Any person presenting anosmia (total loss of olfaction) from birth or following physical trauma (head injury) or due to disease (severe rhinitis). Persons with diabetes, heart disease or hypertension not stabilized by treatment. Any person presenting life expectancy of less than 6 months.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 65 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: 1.independent patients<br> | Other: smell and taste tests<br> <br> |
| Experimental: 2. less mobile patients<br> | Other: smell and taste tests<br> <br> |
| Experimental: patient in a residence<br> | Other: smell and taste tests<br> <br> |
| Experimental: patients in a home for the elderly (EHPAD)<br> | Other: smell and taste tests<br> <br> |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Indeed the level of dependency of scores at each of the olfactory tests, gustatory and masticatory |  | Day 1 | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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elderly