A study conducted at the University of Chicago Medical Center has unveiled that a rapid loss of smell may predict cognitive disorders like dementia and structural changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The longitudinal study included 515 older adults as participants. It is one of the first studies of its kind focusing on olfaction. The findings were published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
“Longitudinal multivariable analyses are needed to determine if the rate of olfactory decline during normal cognition predicts subsequent Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnoses and brain dysmorphology,” the authors explained in their findings.
“Faster olfactory decline during periods of normal cognition predicted higher incidence of subsequent MCI or dementia and smaller GMV in AD and olfactory regions,” the authors concluded in their research.
Overall, the authors determined that rapid olfactory decline predicted a decline in cognition and a higher risk of dementia among the subjects. Further research is warranted.
