Most people think that the ability to do simple math or memory are two of the defining signs of impending Alzheimer’s, but that’s incorrect.

With an estimated 32 million cases worldwide, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common forms of dementia. It is crucial to identify early indicators to screen populations at risk and execute interventions promptly. There is a critical need for sensitive and early biomarkers to screen people for AD right now. One of the most encouraging sensory biomarkers for AD right now is smell. When there is a loss of smell perception, identification, or memory, it is known as olfactory dysfunction.

Our olfactory (smell) sense provides important information to the brain, but it is often overlooked compared to visual and auditory abilities.

Researchers, however, have uncovered another fascinating aspect of our sense of smell, or olfaction. A gradual decrease in smell sensitivity is an early warning sign of cognitive decline and structural brain alterations associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Analysis of 515 seniors indicated that a smell-test screening could detect cognitive impairment early. As a national monitor for an Alzheimer’s medication protocol, I saw smell sense testing provided to hundreds of patients across the US in a study several decades ago. So, it seems there was a belief that smell played a significant role in the early detection of this neurological disorder.

The rapid loss of smell is now being viewed as a potentially overlooked powerful predictor of what will happen anatomically in specific brain areas, and this work gives another clue. Before spreading to other brain regions, the characteristic plaques and tangles of Alzheimer’s disease typically manifest in areas related to smell and memory.

Odor discrimination and bilateral hippocampal cortical thickness (the major location for memory incorporation and maintenance) both improved after four months of training in repeated short-term sniffing of different odors. Researchers validated the results by conducting cognitive tests and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at baseline and follow-up periods. According to researchers, olfactory training has the potential to prevent hippocampus atrophy as an early intervention. But it’s not limited to memory because the intervention has other benefits.

Several recent studies have shown that regular olfactory exposure, or “olfactory training” (OT), can improve mood by enhancing olfactory perception and reducing the intensity of depressed symptoms. Who knew that smelling a rose, brewing coffee, or other scents aids mental health and cognition? Anyone who believes in self-help techniques will surely want to read more on this fascinating approach to neurologic disorders.

Training Your Sense of Smell

A specialist in otolaryngology is the ideal person to consult for any comprehensive evaluation of your sense of smell. But if you are interested, you may test your nose’s performance using a few simple methods at home. You can use everyday home items for self-evaluation or purchase a kit that sniffs scratch cards.

You should still see a doctor for a proper evaluation, but a home test can help you catch dips before they happen. You can use items in your home if you wish.

Using what you already have around the house and the instructions from the SmellAbility Toolbox, you can train your sense of smell without spending a dime on oils. Essential oils are available in a vast array of perfumes, so you can use them if you prefer a particular set of fragrances. There's no lack of. aromatherapy stores and internet retailers selling them. Airtight containers can store essential oils for an extended period, making them a recommended and reliable source of fragrance.

Research on affordable, easy-to-implement, and efficacious home remedies for cognitive decline in the elderly is needed because it is becoming an increasingly serious problem in our society. One small research study examined whether healthy older persons might benefit from nighttime olfactory enrichment regarding cognitive function.

People in the experimental group were given seven distinct scents every week, one at night for two hours, through an odorant diffuser. The experience with minimum levels of odorant was identical for individuals in the control group. Please refer to the original article for more detailed information on this specific research protocol.

The participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans and neuropsychological evaluations at baseline and six months into the trial. The enriched group outperformed the control group by a substantial margin of 226%.

The research suggests that nighttime administration of mild olfactory enrichment improves neural and cognitive performance. Therefore, olfactory enrichment could be a low-effort strategy to improve brain health.

However, it's important to remember that the weather or other pollutants in our homes can affect our sense of smell. If your sense of smell isn't as acute as you believe it should be, these factors may be entering into false positives. While not a researcher, you are interested in maintaining your cognition and mental health, which are connected to your sense of smell. Let your nose be your guide, but remember that an ENT physician visit may be needed for additional information and remedies.