SniffTrain: Effectiveness of Sniff Training in the Treatment of Post-Viral Anosmia

Conditions

• Anosmia
• Hyposmia
• Post-viral Anosmia

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

10 Years - 60 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Not accepted

Interventions

• Sniff Training Kits — OTHER
  This study will test the ability of a structured smell training protocol (called "sniff training") to improved smell function. Participants will be asked to sniff inhaler cartridges containing different USDA GRAS (generally recognized as safe) odors (such as lemon, leather, strawberry, banana, etc). The amount of odor may differ, and odors may or may not be identified on the inhalers. The inhaler cartridge are provided at no charge to study participants in kits that contain four inhalers each.

Study Details

The purpose of this study is to learn whether a structured smell training program (called "sniff training") can help improve sense of smell and quality of life in people who have experienced a reduced or lost sense of smell following a viral illness (also called post-viral anosmia).

Key Dates

First listed

Oct 5, 2026

Start date

Jan 5, 2027

Status verified

Sep 2026

Primary completion

Jul 31, 2031

Completion

Jul 31, 2031

Study Design

Enrollment

204 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Arms

• Active Comparator: Arm 1: Sniffing named odors
  Participants randomly assigned to Arm 1 will receive sniff training kits containing four inhaler cartridges, with each cartridge containing a different odor (such as lemon, leather, rose, banana, etc). Odor names will be on the cartridges. Participants are instructed to sniff each inhaler cartridge in the morning and evening for 12 weeks. After this initial 12 weeks, participants will receive a new kit which may contain four different odors. These new inhaler cartridges will be sniffed for an additional 12 weeks. At several points in the study, participants will take smell tests or answer questionnaires to assess their ability to smell, their quality of life, and their psychological and neurological health.
• Active Comparator: Arm 2: Sniffing unnamed odors
  Arm 2 will be identical to Arm 1 with the exception that the inhaler cartridges provided to participants randomly assigned to Arm 2 will not have labels identifying the aroma contained in each cartridge.
• Other: Arm 3: Control Arm
  Arm 3 will be identical to Arm 2 with the exception that the inhaler cartridges will not contain the same amount of odor as in the inhaler cartridges used in Arm 2.

Primary Outcome Measure

Improvement in Odor Perception [ Time Frame: From enrollment to the end-of-study visit at 52 weeks ]

Central Contacts

• Nino McHedlishvili
  434-243-3643
  [email protected]

Locations (3)

Find similar trials in Baltimore, MD

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