Smell Training May Delay Brain Decline as 90% of Early Parkinson’s Patients Lose Olfaction
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 14
Smell Training May Delay Brain Decline as 90% of Early Parkinson’s Patients Lose Olfaction
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 14
Summary
Smell training is being highlighted as a possible way to improve cognition and support brain health, with researchers suggesting it could help delay neurodegenerative disease progression.
Loss of smell is often one of the earliest warning signs of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, appearing up to a decade before other diagnosable symptoms.
A 2021 paper in Ageing Research Reviews found olfactory dysfunction in 90% of people with early-stage Parkinson’s and 85% with early-stage Alzheimer’s.
That link has made the sense of smell a growing focus in brain-health research, both as an early marker of disease and as a potential target for intervention.