Catching Alzheimer’s early is key to slowing its progression; however, often, by the time memory loss becomes noticeable, the disease may already have progressed a long way.
Now, researchers at Mass General Brigham have taken a major step toward earlier detection — using the sense of smell.
Alzheimer’s currently affects nearly 7 million Americans, and that number is expected to double to 13.9 million by 2060. An even more shocking statistic is that around 90% of individuals with mild cognitive decline have never received a formal diagnosis.
Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages is challenging when symptoms can be subtle and easily overlooked. There is no single definitive test to distinguish normal age-related forgetfulness from the onset of cognitive decline. Early warning signs often include memory lapses, difficulty finding words, trouble with problem-solving, and changes in mood or behavior.
Studies have shown a connection between a declining sense of smell and dementia. The brain regions responsible for processing smells are often among the first to be impacted by Alzheimer’s, with changes beginning 15-20 years before memory issues surface.
Scientists at Mass General Brigham have now built on this knowledge to develop a simple, digital, at-home smell test called the AROMHA Brain Health Test (ABHT) that could detect Alzheimer’s years before traditional symptoms appear.
The ABHT can evaluate a person’s ability to identify, distinguish, remember, and gauge the strength of different odors to provide clues about brain health and potential early signs of cognitive decline.
“Early detection of cognitive impairment could help us identify people who are at risk of Alzheimer’s disease and intervene years before memory symptoms begin,” said lead study author Mark Albers, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, in a news release.
The researchers used ABHT on different groups, including cognitively normal individuals, those with subjective cognitive complaints, and those with mild cognitive impairment. Results showed that olfactory performance declined with age, and people with mild cognitive impairment had lower scores in odor identification and discrimination compared to cognitively normal individuals, regardless of age, sex, or education.
“Our results suggest that olfactory testing could be used in clinical research settings in different languages and among older adults to predict neurodegenerative disease and development of clinical symptoms,” Albers added.
