Researchers at Penn State University have confirmed that the “sniff test” can help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. Much research has come to light revealing that the sense of smell, or lack thereof, may be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s disease.
Not only does the sniff test help diagnose and confirm Alzheimer’s disease, but it can also be useful in diagnosing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.
Advertisement
Principal investigator David R. Roalf explained, “There’s the exciting possibility here that a decline in the sense of smell can be used to identify people at risk years before they develop dementia.’
The researchers used a commercially available sniff test known as the Sniffin’ Sticks Odor Identification Test, which entails identifying 16 different scents. The test was administered to 728 elderly people.
The patients were already assessed by Penn State neurologists and assigned to one of the three categories: healthy older adult, mild cognitive impairments, or Alzheimer’s dementia. The researchers used the results of a cognitive test alone or combined with a sniff test, to assess the accuracy of diagnosis.
The cognitive test alone identified only 75 percent of mild cognitive impairment patients, but the success rate rose to 87 percent when the sniff test was used too. The study demonstrates that combining a sniff test with cognitive testing leads to a more accurate diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
Roalf added, “These results suggest that a simple odor identification test can be a useful supplementary tool for clinically categorizing MCI and Alzheimer’s, and even for identifying people who are at the highest risk of worsening. We’re hoping to shorten the Sniffin’ Sticks test, which normally takes five to eight minutes, down to three minutes or so, and validate that shorter test’s usefulness in diagnosing MCI and dementia — we think that will encourage more neurology clinics to do this type of screening.”
Many older adults with mild cognitive impairment do not get proper assessment and diagnosis. Developing a fast and reliable test will help identify these patients more efficiently.
Emily Lunardo studied medical sociology at York University with a strong focus on the social determinants of health and mental illness. She is a registered Zumba instructor, as well as a Canfit Pro trainer, who teaches fitness classes on a weekly basis. Emily practices healthy habits in her own life as well as helps others with their own personal health goals. Emily joined Bel Marra Health as a health writer in 2013.
