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Updated: Feb 25, 2026
10:42
A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function
Published on: July 30, 2017
10.1K
Sleep and Olfaction among Older Adults
V Eloesa McSorley1, Jayant Pinto, L Philip Schumm
1Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Neuroepidemiology
|July 26, 2017
Summary
Poor sleep quality in older adults is linked to a reduced ability to identify odors. Further research is needed to confirm if this connection is causal.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sleep Science
- Sensory Neuroscience
Background:
- Sleep and olfaction are vital functions that decline with age.
- Olfactory decline can signal neurodegenerative diseases; poor sleep impacts health.
- This study investigates the link between sleep variations and olfactory function in seniors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between sleep characteristics and olfactory function in older adults.
- To determine if objective and subjective sleep measures correlate with olfactory performance.
Main Methods:
- 354 community-dwelling older adults participated.
- Olfactory function was assessed using a validated survey tool.
- Sleep was measured via wrist actigraphy and self-report; structural equation models were used.
Main Results:
- Actigraphy-confirmed sleep quality correlated with odor identification ability.
- Sleep duration showed no association with odor identification.
- Self-reported sleep problems and duration did not correlate with olfactory function.
Conclusions:
- Reduced sleep quality is associated with impaired odor identification in older adults.
- The causal relationship between sleep quality and olfaction requires further investigation with longitudinal data.
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