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Valid olfactory impairment tests can help identify mild cognitive impairment: an updated meta-analysis
Chunyi Zhou1, Chongming Yang2, Yating Ai1
1School of Nursing, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China.
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
|February 29, 2024
Summary
Olfactory testing effectively screens for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults. Impaired smell is more pronounced in amnestic MCI, highlighting its diagnostic potential.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Olfactory impairment is frequently observed in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
- The precise relationship between olfactory function subdomains and MCI subtypes requires further elucidation.
- This meta-analysis synthesizes current evidence on olfactory deficits in MCI.
Approach:
- A systematic literature search was performed across seven databases up to April 2023.
- Data from 38 studies, including 3,828 MCI patients and 8,160 controls, were analyzed.
- Meta-analyses were conducted using Stata to determine average effects and sources of heterogeneity.
Key Points:
- MCI patients exhibit significant olfactory dysfunction compared to healthy controls, particularly in odor identification and discrimination.
- Olfactory impairment is more severe in amnestic MCI than in non-amnestic MCI.
- Heterogeneity in effect sizes was attributed to variations in olfactory testing instruments.
Conclusions:
- Olfactory tests serve as valuable complementary tools for the accurate screening of MCI in the elderly.
- Standardized olfactory assessments could improve early detection and intervention strategies for cognitive decline.
- Further research should focus on standardizing olfactory testing protocols for MCI screening.
