A decrease in a person’s sense of smell over time predicts and may prevent cognitive function loss. structural changes in areas of the brain that are important for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in general.

This is the main conclusion of an investigation conducted by the Medical University of Chicago. The studio offers: “another tip” One of its authors, Jayant M. Pinto, summarizes that the rapid decline in the sense of smell is a “really good” indicator of what’s going on in the brain.

Based on a follow-up study 515 older adults, It was published Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Memory plays an important role human ability to recognize smells. The scientific community has long known the relationship between the sense of smell and dementia, recalls a statement from the University of Chicago.

The plaques and tangles that characterize Alzheimer’s-affected tissue are usually found in olfactory regions of the brain and memory related Before it develops in other parts of this organ. However, it is still unknown whether this damage is the cause of a person’s decreased sense of smell.

Pinto and his team wanted to see if it was possible to identify the changes associated with the changes occurring in the brain. loss of smell and cognitive function over time.

“Our opinion is that people with a rapidly declining sense of smell over time they get worse more than they gradually diminish or maintain a normal sense of smell,” says Rachel Pacyna.

Study

The team used the hospital’s anonymous patient data. Memory and Aging Project from Rush University. Data began in 1997 to investigate chronic conditions of aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Patients undergo annual tests to check their ability to remember through smell, cognitive functions, or signs of dementia; some also had MRIs.

discoveries

In their observations, the scientists found that a rapid decline in a person’s sense of smell during the period of normal cognition predicts many traits. Alzheimer’s disease. These include decreased gray matter volume in the olfactory and memory-related areas of the brain, poorer cognition, and an increased risk of dementia.

In fact, the risk of losing the sense of smell was similar to the risk of being a carrier. of the APOE-e4 gene, A known genetic risk factor for the development of Alzheimer’s.

The changes were most pronounced in primary olfactory regions, including the amygdala and entorhinal cortex, which is an important input to the hippocampus, a critical region in Alzheimer’s.

‘We were able to show that the volume and shape of gray matter in areas related to smell and memory are in humans. a rapid decline in the sense of smell they were smaller compared to those with less severe odor reduction,” Pinto summarizes.

some limitations

According to the researcher, this study “must be taken in the context of all factors. Known Alzheimer’s risk including the effects of diet and exercise.

“The sense of smell and changes in it must be an important component in the context of a number of factors that we believe affect the brain in health and aging.”

According to Pacyna, if it were possible to describe his people 40, 50 and 60 years At higher risk from the start, you may have enough knowledge to enroll them in clinical trials and develop better drugs.

However, the scientists acknowledge some of the study’s limitations, such as the fact that participants only had one MRI, so data are missing to determine when structural changes in the brain begin or how quickly brain regions shrink.