The sense of smell supports safety, memory, nutrition, emotional well‑being, and daily connection to the world. When olfactory function is reduced, altered, or disappears, the impact can be substantial—yet awareness across healthcare, research, and public conversation leaves much to be desired. Population‑based research has shown measurable rates of olfactory impairment among adults, with prevalence increasing with age [1]. [medrxiv.org]
Currently
Smell dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and viral‑induced anosmia has been documented in the scientific literature since the 1970s [2–4].
Over the past five decades, scientific understanding has grown meaningfully. Smell impairment in Parkinson’s has been reported consistently since the 1970s [2], and foundational work linking olfactory impairment to Alzheimer’s dates to the same era [3]. The COVID‑19 pandemic further accelerated recognition, with a meta‑analysis identifying smell or taste changes in ~47% of confirmed cases [4]. [nia.nih.gov], [portalcien….sergas.es], [bing.com] [nia.nih.gov] [portalcien….sergas.es] [bing.com]
These developments demonstrate progress—but also highlight the importance of expanding attention to areas of smell loss that remain under‑recognized.
Focus
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)–Related Smell Loss
Systematic reviews show high rates of measurable olfactory dysfunction following TBI, including mild injuries, with moderate–severe TBI producing large, consistent psychophysical deficits relative to controls [5–6]. [rhinologyjournal.com], [arts.units.it]
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
A 2022 systematic review and meta‑analysis estimated a 27% pooled prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in MS, including reduced threshold, discrimination, and identification scores compared to controls [7]. Additional clinical studies confirm that olfactory changes can appear early in MS and may correlate with aspects of disease progression [8–9]. [jamanetwork.com] [research.unipd.it], [scirp.org]
Cancer‑ or Treatment‑Related Smell Loss
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy frequently produce taste and smell disturbances that affect nutrition, treatment tolerance, and well‑being [10–12]. Prospective data in head‑and‑neck radiotherapy show a dose–response relationship in the olfactory region, with some impairment persisting up to one year [13]. [scholar.google.com], [wikidata.org], [gupea.ub.gu.se] [scilit.com]
These areas represent meaningful opportunities for improved screening, better patient support, and expanded research attention.
Goals
Anosmic Bronco was created to:
- Increase access to relevant, reliable, easy‑to‑understand information about smell dysfunction [1]. [medrxiv.org]
- Highlight under‑recognized contributors such as TBI, MS, and cancer‑related smell loss, where research exists but visibility remains limited [5,7,10]. [rhinologyjournal.com], [jamanetwork.com], [scholar.google.com]
- Encourage community‑driven awareness and action, offering ideas and templates for individuals and organizations seeking to advance local advocacy efforts.
- Support further progress in research, screening, and public education by making overlooked evidence easier to find and understand [6–7]. [arts.units.it], [jamanetwork.com]
Vision
A future where olfactory dysfunction is consistently acknowledged, recognized, understood, screened for, and thoughtfully supported across all causes—reflecting the essential role smell plays in daily life and overall well‑being.
Sources
- Brämerson et al. (2004) — Prevalence of Olfactory Dysfunction: The Skövde Population‑Based Study. The Laryngoscope.
https://www.scilit.com/publications/a00fe29a184c4a4ddbb1176dc2f35485 [medrxiv.org] - Haehner, Hummel, Reichmann — A Clinical Approach Towards Smell Loss in Parkinson’s Disease (review noting reports since the 1970s).
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/reader/10.3233/JPD-130278 [nia.nih.gov] - Mesholam et al. (1998) — Olfaction in Neurodegenerative Disease: A Meta‑analysis of Olfactory Functioning in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases. JAMA Neurology.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/773547 [portalcien….sergas.es] - Borsetto et al. (2020) — Self‑reported alteration of smell or taste in COVID‑19: Systematic review & meta‑analysis (~47%). Rhinology.
https://www.rhinologyjournal.com/Abstract.php?id=2541 [bing.com] - Tai et al. (2022) — Olfactory Dysfunction Following Moderate to Severe TBI: Systematic Review & Meta‑analysis.
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11065-022-09563-2.pdf [rhinologyjournal.com] - Schofield et al. (2014) — Traumatic brain injury and olfaction: a systematic review. Frontiers in Neurology.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2014.00005/pdf [arts.units.it] - Mirmosayyeb et al. (2022) — Olfactory dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis: Systematic review & meta‑analysis (pooled prevalence ~27%). PLOS ONE.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0266492 [jamanetwork.com] - Atalar et al. (2018) — Olfactory dysfunction in multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.
https://www.msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348%2818%2930084-1/fulltext [research.unipd.it] - Printza et al. (2022) — Smell as a Disease Marker in Multiple Sclerosis. Journal of Clinical Medicine.
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/11/17/5215 [scirp.org] - Spotten et al. (2017) — Subjective and objective taste and smell changes in cancer. Annals of Oncology.
https://www.annalsofoncology.org/article/S0923-7534%2819%2932000-9/fulltext [scholar.google.com] - Gamper et al. (2012) — Detecting taste and smell alterations in chemotherapy patients: Systematic review. Journal of Pain & Symptom Management.
https://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924%2812%2900275-8/fulltext [wikidata.org] - Rosati et al. (2024) — Taste and Smell Alterations in Cancer Patients (overview). Diseases.
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9721/12/6/130 [gupea.ub.gu.se] - Chang et al. (2025) — Radiotherapy and Smell Function in Head & Neck Cancer: Nonrandomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2842892 [scilit.com]