Associations Between Cognitive Function, Depression, and Olfactory Function in Elderly People With Dementia in Korea

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Cognitive impairment, including dementia, poses a significant health challenge in aging populations.
• Early detection of cognitive decline is crucial for timely intervention and management.
• Olfactory dysfunction and depression are recognized as potential early symptoms of cognitive impairment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between olfactory function, depression, and cognitive domains in elderly dementia patients in South Korea.
• To explore the potential of olfactory assessment as a screening tool for dementia.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 108 elderly dementia patients visiting an outpatient clinic.
• Olfactory function was assessed using standardized tests.
• Cognitive function was evaluated using the Expanded Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale, assessing various cognitive domains.

Main Results:

• Significant olfactory impairment was observed in patients with mild and moderate dementia (CDR scores 7.48 ± 1.28 and 7.37 ± 2.22, respectively) compared to those with questionable scores (20.58 ± 6.18).
• The language domain of cognitive function, along with age and education level, explained 39.2% of the variance in olfactory function (F = 5.591, p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• Olfactory function is significantly related to cognitive function, particularly the language domain, in elderly dementia patients.
• Assessing olfactory function holds promise for the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of dementia in older adults.
• Further research is needed to establish olfactory function as a reliable clinical marker for dementia screening across different dementia types.