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The nose knows mental health |
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CHICAGO—According to research published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, there may be a link between a person’s ability to detect and identify odours and early signs of the mental decline often associated with old age. If the results hold, it could provide healthcare professionals and family members with an opportunity to recognize early stages of cognitive impairment.
Dr. Robert Wilson of Rush University Medical Center and colleagues examined 589 older adults (average 80 years) who showed no signs of cognitive troubles. At the beginning of the five-year study, the participants were given a smell identification test during which they were asked to identify each of 12 different odours from a list of possible sources. They were then given a complete clinical evaluation in each of the five years, including neurological exams and cognitive function tests.
During the study period, 30% of the participants developed mild cognitive impairment, and the researchers found that those who scored below average on the smell test were 50% more likely to develop the impairment than those who scored above average. Furthermore, those who scored poorly at the start of the study were most likely to already be showing signs of impairment.
“These findings suggest that olfactory dysfunction can be an early manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease,” say the study authors. “And that olfactory assessment may be useful for early disease identification.”
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