Researchers at Columbia University Medical Centre in the USA used the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) to analyse sense of smell in 397 older people without dementia.
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During the four-year follow-up period, 50 participants developed dementia.
A second study, also by Colombia University, in the United States, compared how well a declining sense of smell is able to predict cognitive decline.
It’s the combination of higher educational attainment, mentally stimulating work and social engagement which can play a role in protecting your brain from cognitive decline (counteracting some negative effects of an unhealthy diet), said one of the researchers, Dr Matthew Parrott.
The Federal Trade Commission earlier this year settled a million deceptive advertising lawsuit against Lumos Labs, charging that the company was making false claims of protecting against dementia and age-related cognitive decline in its brain-training program Lumosity.
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He said: “Most people experience some sensory loss as they age, so anyone with an impaired sense of smell shouldn’t be immediately anxious about dementia, but if you have noticed changes to your sense of smell at any age, it’s advisable to speak to your GP”.
The study conducted by Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), one of the largest independent centres of research on the brain and nervous system in Australia, analysed the responses of 185 carers who completed a questionnaire that quizzed them about changes in patients’ behaviour.
Previous research released as part of the Active study showed all three types of brain training tested led to improvements in cognitive function and the ability to perform daily living skills, such as preparing a meal.
The concept of checking behavioural changes for findings early symptoms of dementia is a new concept and could potentially change the way the condition is diagnosed in the future.
“Research is increasingly showing that if you’re a midlife or older adult and you have a new onset of any of those neuropsychiatric symptoms, then you’re more likely to decline and go on to mild cognitive impairment or dementia”, the Post quoted Ismail as saying. The researchers manipulated how much time the people had to process the material.
They measured the thickness of the retinal nerve fibre layer, which transmits visual information from the eye to the brain and is known to decrease with age.
The researchers also tested participants’ ability to remember and problem-solve, and they also took a work history from each. UFOV decreases with age and is associated with a decline in performance on daily tasks, particularly driving a auto.
Another study reported at AAIC found a strong association between thinning nerve layers in the retina of the eye and poor cognition, suggesting the potential of retinal imaging as part of early Alzheimer’s testing.
“For the majority of brain fitness products sold today the marketing hype has exceeded the science”, says Murali Doraiswamy, director of the neurocognitive disorders program at Duke University Health System in Durham, N.C.
“Interactions with people and working with people is something that happens in real time and requires a lot of brain power”, said study senior author Ozioma Okonkwo, an assistant professor and principal investigator at UW’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.
“This research suggests that some of these changes happen in the retina of the eye too, which could give us a relatively easy, non-invasive way to spot them early”. The behaviours detailed in the checklist are often identified and amplified in people with dementia.
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The researchers, during the study, looked at the problems concerning memory and thinking which may or may not progress into dementia of Alzheimer’s in the future. “These new 10-year findings are evidence that it may hold true for dementia as well as cognitive decline”.
