Link Between Sense of Smell and Alzheimer's Risk
What role did the sense of smell play in the recent study on predicting cognitive problems
The role are :-
Predicting Cognitive Problems with Smell Test:
- A recent study suggests that a person's sense of smell may be an indicator of future cognitive problems, particularly for those at risk of dementia.
Study Participants and Testing:
- Over 865 individuals participated in the study, undergoing smell tests every five years, alongside assessments of thinking and memory skills.
Genetic Link to Alzheimer's:
- DNA samples were used to identify participants with a gene linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease.
How did the presence of a specific gene variant impact individuals' ability to detect odors and their cognitive decline over time?
Odor Detection and Gene Variant:
- Individuals with the gene variant were 37% less likely to have good odor detection at a specific time point compared to those without the gene.
- No significant difference in identifying odors was observed until participants reached age 75 to 79.
Accelerated Decline in Cognitive Skills:
- Gene carriers, once they started losing the ability to identify odors, experienced a more rapid decline in cognitive skills compared to non-carriers.
Early Prediction of Cognitive Decline:
- At the study's beginning, thinking and memory skills were similar between the two groups.
- Those with the gene variant, however, showed faster declines in thinking skills over time.
- Testing sense of smell may offer an early prediction of future cognitive problems.
Promising Step in Dementia Risk Identification:
- While more research is needed for confirmation, the findings represent a promising step in identifying individuals at risk for dementia at an earlier stage of the disease.
Exciting Potential for Early Intervention:
- The study's implications suggest exciting potential for early intervention and identification of individuals susceptible to cognitive decline through a simple smell test.
Source:- American Academy of Neurology. "People with increased genetic risk of Alzheimer's may lose sense of smell first." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 26 July 2023. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230726171240.htm
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