Although the connection isn’t obvious, studies have shown a strong link between memory and smell. Recent findings on this relationship may have implications for older adults and their caregivers’ ability to prevent memory loss or even dementia.
Older adults’ recall abilities “skyrocketed” when exposed to a strong fragrance two hours every night for six months, a new study showed.
Each night, the study participants used an aroma diffuser, choosing from seven different scented cartridges, which ran while they slept.
None of the study participants — who ranged in age from 60 to 85 — had received a prior diagnosis of memory impairment.
The older adults who received the fragrance showed a major “cognitive capacity” increase over those in a control group, researchers stated.
In more objective terms, the smells ended up producing stronger pathways between certain brain regions, as revealed by imaging. And participants also reported sleeping better, a Science Daily story notes.
Study authors said they hope to use the research to develop a product for at-home use as soon as this fall.
Much recent research has demonstrated the link between memory, dementia and smell, although it is a negative association: That is, loss of smell, particularly if the onset is quick, is a strong predictor of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Genetics also may play a role.
More recent studies also tie loss of smell to an increase in late-life depression, hinting that olfactory abilities are tied to broader health concerns.
One important side note: Not all smells are created equal. A bad odor could leave a lasting memory among long-term care residents and their families, but they may not stay there for long, experts cautioned in a previous piece for McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.
