Elucidation of Sensory Characteristics and Food Preferences in the Elderly (AUPALESENS)

University Hospital Center (CHU) Dijon Bourgogne

Status: Completed

Conditions: Malnutrition

Treatments: Other: smell and taste tests

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02873858

PFITZENMEYER 2010

Details and patient eligibility

About

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).

Enrollment: 611 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

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.

Trial design

611 participants in 4 patient groups

1.independent patients

Active Comparator group

Treatment:

Other: smell and taste tests

2. less mobile patients

Experimental group

Treatment:

Other: smell and taste tests

patient in a residence

Experimental group

Treatment:

Other: smell and taste tests

patients in a home for the elderly (EHPAD)

Experimental group

Treatment:

Other: smell and taste tests