Failing Sense of Smell Might Be Alzheimer's Warning
As the ability to identify odors goes, so does mental ability, researchers say
"These findings may indicate that there could be a problem linked to neurodegenerative diseases in general," said James Hendrix, the director of global science initiatives at the Alzheimer's Association.
In the future, he added, a smell test could be an early indicator that something is going wrong with someone's brain. "It would need follow-up to determine whether it was Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson disease or some other condition," Hendrix said.
But he noted that it's too soon to start using a smell test as a diagnostic tool.
"Our ability to sense smell doesn't just reside in our nose, there are receptors that are activated in our brains," he said. "We need to have a healthy brain to fully smell the world around us."