Odor Identification Tests Help Doctors Accurately Predict Alzheimer's

Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in NY -

A simple odor identification test might help doctors more accurately predict which indivuals with mild cognitive impairment will go on to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to research funded by the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

In the study, the physician asked 90 men and women who had minor memory problems and other mild cognitive impairment to participate in a 15 - 20 minute "scratch and sniff" test. The participants, whose mean age was 67, were exposed to 40 distinct smells such as menthol, peanuts, and soap. Each odor was embedded a microcapsule on a separate page. After scratching open the capsule and smelling it's contents, each participant was asked to identify the odor from four alternatives listed for each capsule. The study is reported in the September issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

None of the 30 individuals who scored well on the test developed Alzheimer's disease during the follow-up period, which averaged 20 months. But the researchers found 19 of 47 people with mild cognitive impairment who had difficulty identifying these smells or odors went to develop Alzheimer's disease during the follow-up period. Of those, 16 reported that they had a good sense of smell at the time of the test yet scored poorly on it. This finding suggests that the inability to recognize smells, when combined with a lack of awareness that olfactory senses are impaired, might be used as a predictor of impending Alzheimer's disease. Thirteen of the 90 participants in this study had completed follow-up at the time of this publication.

For more information regarding Alzheimer's disease and current research studies - please contact the Alzheimer's Association at (716) 626-0600.

For information regarding Elderwood Senior Care - please contact us at (716)633-3900.