Could cognitive disabilities screening the nose? This is in any case what a study suggests, published in the journal Scientific Reports.
A team from Mass General Brigham from Boston, ANDUNITed states, particularly interested in olfactory dysfunction as an early alarm signal for various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer or Parkinson.
They developed a test called “Aromha Brain Health Test” that they submitted to participants, some suffering from light cognitive disorders, others not.
-The researchers found that identifying an odor, memorizing it, or dissociating it from another, decreased with age. In addition, adults with light cognitive disorders obtained lower scores in terms of discrimination and identification of odors.
“Our results suggest that olfactory tests could be used in clinical research contexts in elderly adults, to predict the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, explain the authors. This would allow us to intervene for years before the appearance of symptoms of memory loss. »»
This is not the first time that scientists have been advancing the olfactory track as a dementia. In 2024, CNRS researchers specified that “80 % of Alzheimer’s patients suffered from a smell disorder, making it an early signal of the disease. »»
