Article Synopsis
- This study investigated the effects of olfactory enrichment on cognitive abilities in healthy older adults, with a focus on simple and cost-effective in-home treatments.
- Participants aged 60-85 were randomly assigned to either an Olfactory Enriched group, which experienced different odors each night, or a Control group with no significant difference in treatment amount.
- Results showed a significant 226% improvement in cognitive tests for the enriched group and observable improvements in related brain structures, suggesting that this method could enhance brain health with minimal effort.
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Article Abstract
Objective: Cognitive loss in older adults is a growing issue in our society, and there is a need to develop inexpensive, simple, effective in-home treatments. This study was conducted to explore the use of olfactory enrichment at night to improve cognitive ability in healthy older adults.
Methods: Male and female older adults ( = 43), age 60-85, were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to an Olfactory Enriched or Control group. Individuals in the enriched group were exposed to 7 different odorants a week, one per night, for 2 h, using an odorant diffuser. Individuals in the control group had the same experience with amounts of odorant. Neuropsychological assessments and fMRI scans were administered at the beginning of the study and after 6 months.
Results: A statistically significant 226% improvement was observed in the enriched group compared to the control group on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and improved functioning was observed in the left uncinate fasciculus, as assessed by mean diffusivity.
Conclusion: Minimal olfactory enrichment administered at night produces improvements in both cognitive and neural functioning. Thus, olfactory enrichment may provide an effective and low-effort pathway to improved brain health.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10405466 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1200448 | DOI Listing |
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