Sense of Smell Loss Linked to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

A cosmetic, plastic and reconstructive surgeon and skin care entrepreneur by profession, Dr. Michelle Copeland of New York City (NYC) shares her success with the community. Dr. Michelle Copeland supports a number of NYC and national organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association.

In the summer of 2016, researchers from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and associated institutions traveled to the Alzheimer’s Association National Conference. There, the team shared the results of two recent studies that linked smell acuity to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

One study followed approximately 400 elderly persons with an average age of 80, all of whom were free of dementia at the outset of the study. After four years, however, close to 20 percent were showing lower cognitive abilities and 50 had received diagnoses of dementia. Researchers noted that lower scores on the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) correlated significantly with dementia onset.

Another study, also conducted through CUMC, measured decline in participants with and without cognitive impairment. Researchers found that lower UPSIT scores were significantly more likely to experience memory decline. These findings suggest that a loss of smell identification ability may help caregivers and healthcare professionals to perform low-cost early screenings for patients at risk of developing Alzheimer’s.