Beyond Olfaction: Beneficial Effects of Olfactory Training Extend to Aging-Related Cognitive Decline

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Studies on olfactory training (OT) outcomes have mostly been limited to olfactory performance, while direct neural connections between olfactory system and amygdala–hippocampal complex allow expecting OT to have psychological effects. To address this hypothesis, we examined olfactory, cognitive and emotional effects of OT in the group of 68 subjects aged between 50 and 88 years (Mage = 62.8 ± 8.9 years; 28 males) who are likely to experience an age-related decline in olfactory and cognitive performance. We diversified stimuli used in the OT to verify whether odor mixtures result in more effective activation of olfactory receptor neurons than single molecule odors. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the experimental conditions: (a) simple OT utilizing single-molecule odors; (b) mixtures OT using odor mixtures; (c) control group without OT. Results indicate beneficent effects of the simple OT on cognitive assessment, cognitive decline symptoms, and olfactory sensitivity. OT can be adapted from otorhinolaryngological practice to successfully serve neurocognitive research and in supporting the cognitive-related aging process.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)732-740
Number of pages9
JournalBehavioral Neuroscience
Volume135
Issue number6
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 34110862
ORCID /0000-0001-9713-0183/work/146645505

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Aging, Cognitive decline, Olfaction, Olfactory threshold, Olfactory training