Research Links Smell Training to Better Cognition as 90% of Early Parkinson's Patients Lose Smell
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 14
Research Links Smell Training to Better Cognition as 90% of Early Parkinson's Patients Lose Smell
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 14
Summary
smell training may help improve cognition and overall brain health, according to research highlighted in the latest report.
Loss of smell is often one of the earliest warning signs of neurodegenerative disease, appearing up to a decade before other diagnosable symptoms.
A 2021 Ageing Research Reviews paper found olfactory dysfunction in 90% of people with early-stage Parkinson's and 85% with early-stage Alzheimer's.
Those findings suggest the sense of smell could serve both as an early marker of brain decline and as a target for interventions aimed at preserving cognition.