A Diagnostic Tool Like Alzheimers Smell Test Could Reduce Disease Severity
According to one of the researchers working on the Alzheimers smell test study, delaying Alzheimers symptoms for just five years can reduce the severity of those symptoms by 50 percent. Researchers hope that developing less invasive tests to detect Alzheimers will allow patients to seek out clinical trials or make beneficial lifestyle changes earlier in order to stave off the symptoms of the disease for as long as possible.
Of course, it is important to note that loss of smell can be associated with a lot of different diseases, not just Alzheimers. The study was also observational, meaning it shows correlation between sense of smell and signs of Alzheimers in the brain, not that one caused the other. And the study was small by scientific standards, with 265 particiapnts.
While impaired odor identification may in fact help identify persons who could for various reasons eventually have cognitive impairment, we strongly urge that our present cross-sectional results not be regarded as rationale for clinical use of olfactory testing as an Alzheimers diagnostic, wrote the researchers.
For now, while an Alzheimers smell test could one day help doctors quickly and painlessly screen people at risk for Alzheimers, researchers still recommend that the same standard diagnostic tools be used in detecting the disease.
Read the full write-up here.
Smell Identification Study For Alzheimers Disease Early Detection
In the study, around 300 participants with an average age of 63 were given an Alzheimers smell test and asked to identify smells like gasoline, bubble gum and lemon. The participants were all considered at-risk for Alzheimers because one or more immediate family members suffered from the disease. Researchers found that the participants in the Alzheimers smell test who had the most difficulty identifying the scents also had the most evident biological markers for Alzheimers disease, like tau, and scored worse on memory tests. Considering the olfactory bulb and the entorhinal cortex are some of the first parts of the brain to be affected by Alzheimers, its a finding that makes sense.
These findings from healthy high-risk older individuals suggest that odor identification reflects degree of preclinical Alzheimers pathology, wrote the studys authors. Diminished odor identification may be a practical and affordable biomarker of Alzheimers pathology.
Loss Of Smell May Be An Early Sign Of Alzheimers Disease
May 26, 2022
A declining sense of smell may be an early sign of Alzheimers disease, a new report confirms. The study found that in some older adults, a loss of the ability to smell was tied to an increase in brain changes typical of Alzheimers disease.
Researchers tracked 364 older men and women who were part of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, a long-running study of seniors living in the Baltimore area. All were free of serious memory problems at the start of the study period.
Over the next two-and-a-half years, the study participants underwent tests of their ability to detect a range of aromas. They also underwent memory assessments as well as PET scans of the brain, which allow doctors to identify the telltale beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles of Alzheimers disease.
During that time, about 5 percent of the study participants developed mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, a clinical stage marked by faltering memory that may eventually lead to full-blown Alzheimers disease.
The researchers found that those who showed declines in the odor tests were more likely to develop MCI. They considered various risk factors associated with Alzheimers disease, including age, depression, whether participants smoked, and whether they carried the APOE-e4 gene. A decline in the sense of smell was independently linked to an increased risk of developing memory problems.
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A Simple Smell Test Could Detect Alzheimers Years Before Symptoms Emerge
CHICAGO Rapidly losing the sense of smell could help doctors detect Alzheimers disease years before symptoms emerge, a new study says. Scientists from the University of Chicago say losing the olfactory sense a condition called anosmia appears to be one of the first symptoms of the disease.
It predicts changes in brain regions important in dementia, opening the door to a cheap and non-invasive screening program. Such a test would be as routine as going to the doctor to check out your vision or hearing. Clinical trials on this connection are now in the planning phase.
This study provides another clue to how a rapid decline in the sense of smell is a really good indicator of whats going to end up structurally occurring in specific regions of the brain, says senior author and professor of surgery Jayant Pinto in a university release.
Early diagnosis of dementia is vital. So far, drug trials have failed because doctors end up prescribing these medications too late and only after the memory-robbing condition becomes visible. Memory plays a critical role in our ability to recognize odors. Scientists have long known of a link between sense of smell and dementia.
Smell Critical For Cognition
Covid is not the first virus to cause loss of smell, but virus-related loss of smell was a rare occurrence prior to the pandemic, Pinto said. That means that its only recently that scientists are able to conduct large studies on how smell loss caused by a virus may impact cognition.
Sense of smell is extremely critical for cognition, especially for the brain to handle information about the environment. If you shut down that channel of communication with the brain, it will suffer, said Dr. Carlos Pardo, a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University, who was not involved with either study.
But whether Covid-related loss of smell can cause cognitive decline remains unclear.
Thats an open question does the injury to the olfactory system from SARS-CoV-2 result in problems not only in the olfactory system, but also in the brain itself? Pinto said.
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According to Olofsson, the olfactory system the parts of the brain related to smell, including the olfactory bulb, the part of the brain that processes smell connects to parts of the brain that process memory. While its possible that Covid disrupts the olfactory bulb and then the brain deteriorates around it, Olofsson said this isnt likely.
There are a number of other ways in which these two things can be related. The cause may be a pathology that is unrelated to the Covid effect, he said.
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Finding Alzheimers In 40
An autopsy is the gold standard for confirming Alzheimers disease. Researchers hope to eventually extend the findings by examining patient brain tissue. The team is planning to conduct smell tests in clinics.
Older adults would be screened and tracked for early-onset dementia. The results could lead to the development of new treatments. Smell tests are generally inexpensive and easy-to-use. The tool, described in Alzheimers & Dementia, consists of a series of smelling sticks that are similar in appearance to felt-tip pens. Scientists infuse each of them with a distinct scent that individuals must identify from a set of four choices.
If we could identify people in their 40s, 50s and 60s who are at higher risk early on, we could potentially have enough information to enroll them into clinical trials and develop better medications, Pacyna adds.
Bigger studies taking more MRI brain scans may help pinpoint when structural changes in the brains begin or how quickly a patients brain shrinks.
We have to take our study in the context of all of the risk factors that we know about Alzheimers, including the effects of diet and exercise, Pinto continues. Sense of smell and change in the sense of smell should be one important component in the context of an array of factors that we believe affect the brain in health and aging.
South West News Service writer Mark Waghorn contributed to this report.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Alzheimers
In the early stages of disease, the signs may be subtle at first.
However, over time they become more pronounced and begin to interfere with a persons daily life.
While there are common symptoms, every person diagnosed with Alzheimers is unique and will likely experience the disease differently.
But, for most, the earliest sign are problems with memory. Here are the five you should look out for.
As the disease progresses a person might:
- lose common items including keys and glasses around the house
- struggle to find the word they are looking for in conversation
- forget recent conversations or events
- get lost in a familiar place, or while on a familiar journey
- forget important anniversaries, birthdays or appointments
Though memory problems are the most common, there are other signs a person may be struggling with dementia.
They include:
- speech problems a person may struggle to follow a conversation or find they are often repeating themselves
- problems judging distance, navigating stairs or parking the car
- difficulties making decisions and solving problems
- losing track of the day or date
The study was published in the American Academy or Neurology and found that odour detection is linked to being able to detect preclinical Alzheimer’s in those who have no other underlying medical conditions.
Over the last 18 months, a loss of taste and smell have largely been associated with the coronavirus.
In May 2020 if was officially listed as one of the key symptoms of the virus.
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Study Finds Lemons Lilac Among Top 10 Smells That Predict Alzheimer’s Disease
- Date:
- American College Of Neuropsychopharmacology
- Summary:
- The inability to identify the smell of lemons, lilac, leather and seven other odors predicts which patients with minimal to mild cognitive impairment will develop Alzheimer’s Disease, according to a study presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Dec. 13, 2004 — The inability to identify the smell of lemons, lilac, leather and seven other odors predicts which patients with minimal to mild cognitive impairment will develop Alzheimer’s Disease, according to a study presented today at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology annual meeting. For patients with MMCI, the odor identification test was found to be a strong predictor of Alzheimer’s Disease during follow-up, and compared favorably with reduction in brain volumes on MRI scan and memory test performance as potential predictors.
“Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease is critical for patients and their families to receive the most beneficial treatment and medications,” says lead researcher D.P. Devanand, MD, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Neurology at Columbia University and Co-Director of the Memory Disorders Center at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. “While currently there is no cure for the disease, early diagnosis and treatment can help patients and their families to better plan their lives.”
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Smell And Taste Are Often Reduced In Dementiaso Spice Up Your Cooking
Weve all heard that some people with COVID-19 lose their sense of smell. But there are lots of reasons why that can happen. It turns out that many viruses can temporarily diminish your sense of smell, in addition to COVID-19. Even the common cold virus can do it. Other common problems that can affect your smell include sinus disease, seasonal allergies, head injuries, and cigarette smoking.
Smell is usually one of the first senses affected by many types of dementia including Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. Together, these disorders are the cause of dementia in three out of four cases.
Why is smell diminished in these disorders? No one is exactly sure. One explanation may be that the place in the brain where smell is processed is right next to the hippocampusthe place in the brain where memory is processed. Since Alzheimers disease starts in this part of the temporal lobe and spreads, Alzheimers may simply spread quickly to the place in the brain where smell is processed. Another theory is that both Alzheimers disease and Parkinsons disease may start with an unusual reaction to a viral infectionand the viral infection may start in the nose! But this is just a theory so please dont worry that youre going to develop one of these diseases because you have a cold.
Key Question:
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What Losing Your Sense Of Smell Means For An Alzheimers Diagnosis
Is an Alzheimers smell test accurate? While a changing sense of smell could be related to changes in the brain, diagnosing a disease like Alzheimers is not as simple as holding a jar of peanut butter a few inches from your nose. However, testing a persons sense of smell does give us insight into how different regions of their brain might be affected by neurodegeneration.
For the most part, once the symptoms of Alzheimers disease start showing up, its often too late to significantly intervene and alter the progression of the disease. We know now that physical changes in the brain associated with Alzheimers can start as many as 20 years before symptoms like confusion and memory loss set in. Thats why this study from McGill University on the relation between a sense of smell and the development of Alzheimers disease is so important. Detecting whether someone is in the early stages of Alzheimers could be as simple as a sniff test.
Sniffing Out Dementia With A Simple Smell Test
In a study that followed almost 3,000 older people with normal cognition, researchers found that a simple smell test was able to identify those at higher risk of dementia.
Senior author Jayant M. Pinto, a professor of surgery at the University of Chicago in Illinois, and colleagues report their findings in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
They found that participants who could not identify at least 4 out of 5 odors in the simple smell test were twice as likely to have dementia 5 years later.
These results show that the sense of smell is closely connected with brain function and health, says Prof. Pinto, who is also an ear, nose, and throat specialist.
He explains that losing ones sense of smell is a strong indicator of significant damage, and that this simple smell test could provide a quick and inexpensive way to identify those who are already at high risk.
Dementia is a progressive brain disorder that erodes many aspects of cognitive function for instance, it diminishes a persons ability to remember, reason, solve problems, and hold a conversation.
As it progresses, dementia encroaches on daily life, eventually robbing people of their independence and personality.
The number of people worldwide with dementia is growing. Currently, around 47 million people are thought to be living with the disease. This number is likely to approach 75 million by 2030 and 132 million by 2050.
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Loss Of Smell Is A Warning Sign Of Alzheimers What If You Lose Your Sense Of Smell From Covid
One of the stranger symptoms of Covid the loss of the sense of smell is a symptom that, well before the pandemic, was considered to be a warning sign for dementia.
The big question for researchers now is whether Covid-related loss of smell might also be associated with cognitive decline. Around 5 percent of Covid patients worldwide some 27 million people have reported loss of smell lasting more than six months.
New preliminary findings presented Sunday at the Alzheimers Association International Conference in San Diego suggest there may be a link, though experts caution that more research is needed.
Previousresearch has found that some Covid patients go on to develop cognitive impairment after their infection. In the new study which has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal researchers in Argentina found that loss of smell during Covid may be a stronger predictor of cognitive decline, regardless of severity of disease.
Our data strongly suggest that adults over 60 years of age are more vulnerable to cognitive impairment post-Covid if they had a smell dysfunction, regardless of the severity of the Covid, said study co-author Gabriela Gonzalez-Aleman, a professor at Pontificia Universidad Catolica Argentina in Buenos Aires, adding that its too soon to tell if the cognitive impairment is permanent.
Could A Smell Test Be The Answer To Early Detection Of Alzheimers And Parkinsons
Although theres still no cure for degenerative diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons, researchers have found that delaying the onset of symptoms by just five years could have a substantial impact on the severity and progression of these diseases. Thus, new early detection methods are a crucial aspect of providing the best possible treatment for these ailments in the future.
Recently, researchers from the University of Chicago in Illinois have found a link between a validated five-part smell test and the early onset of dementia.
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I Was Born With No Collarbones And Now Im The Shoulder Clapping King
And nearly 80 per cent of those who could only name one or two scents had also developed the disease.
Lead author on the 2017 study, Jayant Pinto, a professor of surgery at the University of Chicago, said: “These results show that the sense of smell is closely connected with brain function and health.
“We think smell ability specifically, but also sensory function more broadly, may be an important early sign, marking people at greater risk for dementia.“
Dementia begins when the brain is damaged by diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or a series of strokes.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia – but not all dementia is down to Alzheimer’s.
Another study published in 2015 also looked into the connection between odour and Alzheimer disease biomarkers in the clinically normal elderly.
It found that in ‘clinically normal’ individuals, worse odour identification was linked with markers of neurodegeneration.
This is the progressive loss of function of neurons, which is present in diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.