A recent study found that elderly persons with poor scent capabilities were more likely to have mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which often precedes Alzheimer’s. The study, published this month in the Archives of General Psychiatry, studied 589 “community-dwelling older persons” without cognitive impairment. Over the course of several years, odor identification tests and cognitive tests were repeated. Over time, the study showed increased risk for MCI among those with below-average odor identifications scores. Impaired odor identification was also associated with more rapid decline in episodic memory, semantic memory, and perceptual speed. See the abstract of the study and more at Science Daily
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