Good Lifestyle

For many, the idea of ​​developing Alzheimer's disease brings to mind the loss of memories and global cognitive decline over time. And while this symptom can be difficult to diagnose early, scientists are starting to better understand that there are other signs that the appearance of the disease has begun. In fact, a study found that not to be able to feel some perfumes could be a sign that someone is at high risk of Alzheimer's disease. Read it to see which aromas could soon be used as a test for the neurological condition.

RELATED:This sign of dementia can appear 16 years before the diagnosis, a new study indicates.

A 2017 study by researchers at McGill University used 274 participants with an average age of 63 and had been identified as geneticallyRisk for Alzheimer. The subjects were then given to scratching cards and sniffing with very distinguishing odors, including bubble gum, lemon and gasoline, and asked to identify them.

One hundred patients also agreed on regular lumbar punctures so that researchers can measure the levels of certain proteins in their cephalo-spinal fluid (CSF) that are related to Alzheimer's disease. The tests have found that the participants who had the hardest time identifying odors have also had the most protein indicating a high risk of Alzheimer in their CSF.

The results of the study, which have been published in the journalNeurology, Add weight to a popular theory that Alzheimer can affect the area of ​​the brain responsible for taste and smell called olfactory bulb. The researchers behind the study say it could help to link anosmia - or the medical term for the loss of smell - with theAppearance of Alzheimer's disease.

"This is the first time that anyone has been clear that the loss of the ability to identify odors is correlated with biological markers indicating the progress of the disease", "Marie-Elysée Lafaille-Magnan, the main author of the study, said in a press release.

"For more than 30 years, scientists have been exploring the link between memory loss and the difficulty that patients may have to identify different odors. It makes sense, because we know that the olfactory bulb (involved in the direction of the (Odorat) and the winter cortex) (involved in memory and denomination of odors) are among the first brain structures first to be affected by the disease. "

RELATED:This could be one of the first signs you have dementia, experts say they are saying.

The authors of the study pointed out that the results directed towards the age of Alzheimereasier to spot early and diagnose in the future. "It means that aSimple odor test Can potentially be able to give us information on the progression of the disease similar to much more invasive and expensive tests of the cerebrospinal fluid that are currently used, "John Breitner, MD, Director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Center for Prevention at McGill University and the co-author of the study, said in a declaration.

"If we can delay the beginning of the symptoms of only five years, we should be able to reduce more than 50% the prevalence and severity of these symptoms." But, he has always warned: "odor identification problems may be revealing other medical conditions except for [Alzheimer's disease] and therefore should not be substituted for ongoing tests."

This is not the first search to find a link between the meaning ofOdor and cognitive decline. For example, a 2017 study published in theNewspaper of the American Society of Geriatrics determined that a strong link exists betweenolfactory declineAnd dementia. The researchers of the study brought together a "national representative sample" of 2,906 men and women aged 57 to 85, who completed a short interview and suffered a five-point odor test. The subjects were responsible for identifying five peppermint scents, fish, orange, rose and leather by sniffing "a device similar to a felt tip". They were then supplied four possible answers and asked to identify which they felt.

Five years later, the research team led a follow-up interview. They found that those who were unable to identify at least four of the five smells were more than twice as likely to have Dementia developed during this time.

"These results show that the sense of smell is closely linked to brain function and health, "said Jayant M. Pinto , MD, Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago at Illinois and the main author of the study. "We believe that a decrease in odor capacity, including, but also a sensory function more widely, can be an important early sign, marking people to a greater risk for dementia," he said medical news today.

RELATED: If you lose this feeling, it may be an early sign of dementia, the study says .