Unlike the clinical usages of evoked potentials (e.g. brain stem auditory e
voked potentials for the assessment of auditory function), normative data f
or the olfactory event-related potential (OERP) have been unavailable. The
principal objective was to establish normative data across the human life s
pan for OERPs with a given set of parameters. Participants were 140 persons
from seven age groups (16-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70-79
years of age), with equal numbers of males and females, screened for nasal
health and dementia. The odor stimulus was amyl acetate, presented at nasal
temperature in a humidified airstream delivered by an air-dilution olfacto
meter at a constant flow rate, using a 60-s inter-stimulus interval. OERPs
were recorded at Fz, Cz, and Pz electrode sites, amplified and averaged ove
r trials. Amplitudes of the N1/P2 and P3 and latencies of the P2 and P3 wer
e analyzed. Processing speed decreased at a constant rate over decades for
the sensory (P2 latency) as well as cognitive (P3 latency) components. Decl
ine in amplitude over decades was also apparent. Normative data will be use
ful in research on olfactory function and in clinical assessment of olfacto
ry functional status. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All right
s reserved.