Why? Because smell isn’t just about the nose: it’s a brain function closely linked to memory. The areas of the brain that allow us to identify smells are among the first to be affected in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. A simple but revealing test:
In an eight-year study with more than 1,000 participants, researchers used a very accessible olfactory test: they simply scraped samples of scents and identified common smells, such as soap, smoke, roses, or leather. The result? People who had difficulty identifying these scents had a significantly higher risk of developing cognitive decline in old age.
A score below 8 out of 12 was already considered a warning sign. Combined with a short-term memory test, this sensory test proved to be as relevant as some brain MRIs or much more complex biological analyses. A promising result.
A valuable clue for early detection
The advantage of this test? It’s simple, non-invasive, inexpensive, and could be performed in a doctor’s office without sophisticated equipment. Above all, it would offer the possibility of identifying people at risk before the onset of visible symptoms, facilitating early treatment and appropriate prevention strategies.
