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Olfactory phenotypic expression unveils human aging.

Andrea Mazzatenta1, Alessandro Cellerino2, Nicola Origlia3

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Science, 'G. d'Annunzio' University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.

Oncotarget
|March 31, 2016
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Summary

The sense of smell (olfaction) doesn't decline uniformly with age. Researchers identified three distinct olfactory phenotypes – juvenile, mature, and elder – showing age-related variations in olfactory function.

Keywords:
Gerotargetabsolute thresholdagingolfactionolfactometryolfactory phenotype

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Biology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • The natural aging process of olfaction and its decline in healthy individuals is not fully understood.
  • Investigating olfactory function decline is crucial for understanding aging and potential neurodegenerative processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanism of age-related olfactory decline in a healthy population.
  • To measure the absolute olfactory threshold across a wide age range (5-105 years).

Main Methods:

  • Collected absolute olfactory threshold data from 622 healthy Italian participants.
  • Utilized a subjective testing procedure of constant stimuli and compared it with the 'staircase' method.
  • Employed n-butanol as a stimulus and monitored concentrations using an electronic nose, analyzing data with nonparametric statistics.

Main Results:

  • Age-related variations in absolute olfactory threshold are not continuous, revealing multiple olfactory phenotypes.
  • Defined three distinct age-related phenotypes: 'juvenile', 'mature', and 'elder', with age-dependent frequencies.
  • Demonstrated that the sense of smell does not decrease linearly with aging.

Conclusions:

  • Olfactory aging is characterized by distinct phenotypes rather than a continuous decline.
  • Findings provide a foundation for understanding olfactory loss as an early indicator of aging and neurodegenerative conditions.