OLFACTORY IDENTIFICATION DEFICIT IN RELATION TO SCHIZOTYPY

Past studies have shown that schizophrenic men tend to be impaired on the olfactory identification task. We examined individual differences in the olfactory function in relation to schizotypy. Healthy individua ls who might carry latent liability for schizophrenia participated in olfactory identification and acuity tasks. Psychometrically ascertaine d schizotypic men showed deficits on the olfactory identification task but not on the olfactory acuity task. The olfactory identification fu nction partly depended on the menstrual cycle in women. But further sy stematic research is needed to clarify the possible role of estrogen. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.