A decline in sense of smell is connected to faster buildup of Alzheimer’s disease-related pathology seen in brain scans, according to new research by NIA scientists. This study focused on older adults who live outside of nursing homes; specifically, 364 participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), over an average period of about two and a half years. The NIA-led BLSA is the longest running study of healthy aging in America.
The research provided more evidence that loss of smell (known as anosmia) is a key early sign of Alzheimer’s-related cognitive impairment and is linked to the accumulation of associated proteins, such as beta-amyloid and tau. Researchers hope to look deeper into whether sense of smell can predict other types of dementia-related neurodegenerative changes.
Read more about the research study on the Alzheimers.gov website.
