Olfactory means useful in the diagnosis and treatment of mood depression

Abstract

A kit of two compositions comprising the same odorants in mixtures of different proportions is used for the measurement of olfactory discrimination capacity in subjects affected by a psychiatric disorder or disease involving mood disturbance, more particularly mood depression.

1 . A kit for use in the detection of olfactory discrimination impairment in a diseased subject, comprising:
 a first composition comprising odorants, wherein the odorants of said first composition consist of at least two different odorants,   and, separately or distinctly from said first composition,   a second composition comprising odorants, wherein the odorants of said second composition consist of at least two different odorants,   wherein the odorants of said first composition are the same compounds as the odorants of said second composition,   wherein the proportion of the odorants with respect to each other in said first composition is different from their proportion in said second composition, and wherein said second composition is contained in duplicate.   
     
     
         2 . The kit of  claim 1 , wherein the odorants of each of said first and second compositions consists of two different odorants. 
     
     
         3 . The kit of  claim 1  or  2 , wherein said first composition and said duplicate of said second composition are each separately contained in an odor dispensing device for assessing nasal chemosensory performance. 
     
     
         4 . The kit of any one of  claims 1 - 3 , wherein each of said two different odorants is a monomolecular compound. 
     
     
         5 . The kit of any one of  claims 1 - 4 , wherein each of said two different odorants is selected from the group consisting of the monomolecular compounds, which emit an odor or scent selected from the group consisting of anise, apple, banana, caramel, chocolate, cinnamon, clove, cocoa, coconut, coffee, cola, dill, eucalyptus, fish, flower, honey, garlic, ginger, grapefruit, grass, lavender, leather, lemon, lilac, lily of the valley, licorice, melon, mint, mushroom, onion, orange, peach, pear, peppermint, pineapple, rose, spearmint, turpentine, raspberry, sesame oil, smoked meat, soy sauce and vanilla. 
     
     
         6 . The kit of any one of  claims 1 - 5 , wherein each of said two different odorants is selected from the group consisting of R-carvone, S-carvone, isoamylacetate, anethol, eugenol, 2-phenylethanol, geraniol, linalool, cineole, D-limonene, L-limonene, menthol, and cinnamon aldehyde. 
     
     
         7 . The kit of any one of  claims 1 - 6 , which further comprises a plurality of compositions for measuring the olfactory detection threshold of a subject, wherein each composition of said plurality contains only one odorant, and wherein all the compositions of said plurality contains the same one odorant and form a serial dilution of said same one odorant. 
     
     
         8 . The kit of any one of  claims 1 - 7 , which is
 for use in the in vivo diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder or disease involving mood depression, or   for use in the in vivo diagnosis of the severity of a psychiatric disorder or disease that involves mood depression, or   for use in the treatment of a psychiatric disorder or disease involving mood depression, or   for use in the in vivo diagnosis of response or non-response to a treatment that is intended for treating a psychiatric disorder or disease involving mood depression,   wherein said use comprises the sequential smelling or sniffing of said first composition and of said duplicate of said second composition by said subject.   
     
     
         9 . The kit of  claim 8 , wherein said subject scores less than 29 according to the BDI-II test. 
     
     
         10 . The kit of  claim 8  or  9 , wherein said use in the in vivo diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder or disease involving mood depression further comprises determining whether said subject has a reduced olfactory discrimination capacity compared to a healthy and normosmic control subject, a reduced olfactory discrimination capacity being indicative of a psychiatric disorder or disease involving mood depression. 
     
     
         11 . The kit of  claim 8  or  9 , wherein said use in the in vivo diagnosis of the severity of a psychiatric disorder or disease that involves mood depression further comprises measuring the extent of reduction in olfactory discrimination capacity of said subject, wherein the higher said extent the higher said severity. 
     
     
         12 . The kit of  claim 8  or  9 , wherein said use in the treatment of a psychiatric disorder or disease involving mood depression further comprises selecting a treatment, which increases the olfactory discrimination capacity of said subject, and administering said selected treatment to said subject. 
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 8  or  9 , wherein said use in the in vivo diagnosis of response or non-response to a treatment that is intended for treating a psychiatric disorder or disease involving mood depression further comprises submitting a subject, who has received said treatment, to said sequential smelling or sniffing, and determining whether said treatment increases or decreases the olfactory discrimination capacity of said subject, an increased olfactory discrimination capacity being indicative of response to said treatment, a reduced or non-significantly different olfactory discrimination capacity being indicative of non-response to said treatment. 
     
     
         14 . The kit of any one of  claim 8 ,  9 ,  12  or  13 , wherein said treatment comprises the administration of at least one Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) and/or at least one Serotonin and Noradrenalin Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI). 
     
     
         15 . The kit of any one of  claims 1 - 14 , wherein said subject is affected by, or suspected of being affected by a Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).