A novel olfactory threshold test for screening cognitive decline among elderly people

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Biomarkers

Background:

• Olfactory impairment is linked to dementia and cognitive decline.
• Early identification of cognitive decline is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel olfactory test, Sniff Bubble, for detecting cognitive decline in the elderly.
• To establish cut-off scores for the Sniff Bubble test to aid in identifying cognitive impairment.

Main Methods:

• 162 elderly participants underwent olfactory threshold testing (Sniff Bubble, YSK olfactory test) and neurocognitive assessments.
• K-means cluster and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses were employed to determine optimal cut-off scores.
• Participants were categorized into cognitive decline (n=44) and normal cognition (n=118) groups.

Main Results:

• A significant positive correlation was found between Sniff Bubble scores and neurocognitive function (r = 0.431, p < 0.001).
• ROC analysis identified a cut-off score of 3 or higher on the Sniff Bubble test, with an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.759 (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• The Sniff Bubble test demonstrates efficacy in detecting cognitive decline among elderly individuals.
• This novel olfactory test can be clinically utilized as an initial screening method for cognitive impairment.