[Boomer]

Smells and memory have long had an association, but now the results of a recent study are hitting the news with promise. Wouldn't it be loverly if something so easy, and pleasant, really could help.

I don't see how it could hurt anything to try this experiment on yourself. Who knows. Will see.

(Note: Studies are always funded by somebody, so that old grain of salt is always on the table. This study was supported by Procter and Gamble. P&G supplied the aroma diffusers and cartridges. Hmmmm........

P&G employees and retirees for years have been gifted holiday baskets that include a selection of P&G products, along with one item with the logo -- like coasters, trays, ice buckets, etc. Those items from years ago have the iconic moon and stars logo. But then P&G succumbed to the whackadoodles who could not shut up about their conspiracy theory that the moon and stars meant that Procter and Gamble worshipped Satan. The logo was changed -- because whackadoodles can sure suck up a lot of time and energy, so it was easier to just redesign the logo and make them go away. The whackadoodles finally did go away and on to their next Crazytown stop.

Yes. I know. I digress. That little segue was to point out that I bet a diffuser with cartridges will be included in the next holiday basket. If I am right and that happens, there will be lots of anecdotal reporting to add to the official study.)

Go PG!

Boomer Whipple

PS: And, oh yeah, I almost forgot my main point. Here is a synopsis of the recent study. What the heck. I'm in. Couldn't hurt:


Aromas while sleeping boost cognitive capacity
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Notes Reviewers' Notes
Reviewed by Megan Craig, M.Sc.Aug 1 2023
When a fragrance wafted through the bedrooms of older adults for two hours every night for six months, memories skyrocketed. Participants in this study by University of California, Irvine neuroscientists reaped a 226% increase in cognitive capacity compared to the control group. The researchers say the finding transforms the long-known tie between smell and memory into an easy, non-invasive technique for strengthening memory and potentially deterring dementia.

The team's study appears in Frontiers in Neuroscience. (Link to the open access study: Frontiers | Overnight olfactory enrichment using an odorant diffuser improves memory and modifies the uncinate fasciculus in older adults).

The project was conducted through the UCI Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory. It involved men and women aged 60 to 85 without memory impairment. All were given a diffuser and seven cartridges, each containing a single and different natural oil. People in the enriched group received full-strength cartridges. Control group participants were given the oils in tiny amounts. Participants put a different cartridge into their diffuser each evening prior to going to bed, and it activated for two hours as they slept.

People in the enriched group showed a 226% increase in cognitive performance compared to the control group, as measured by a word list test commonly used to evaluate memory. Imaging revealed better integrity in the brain pathway called the left uncinate fasciculus. This pathway, which connects the medial temporal lobe to the decision-making prefrontal cortex, becomes less robust with age. Participants also reported sleeping more soundly.

Scientists have long known that the loss of olfactory capacity, or ability to smell, can predict development of nearly 70 neurological and psychiatric diseases. These include Alzheimer's and other dementias, Parkinson's, schizophrenia and alcoholism. Evidence is emerging about a link between smell loss due to COVID and ensuing cognitive decrease. Researchers have previously found that exposing people with moderate dementia to up to 40 different odors twice a day over a period of time boosted their memories and language skills, eased depression and improved their olfactory capacities. The UCI team decided to try turning this knowledge into an easy and non-invasive dementia-fighting tool.

The reality is that over the age of 60, the olfactory sense and cognition starts to fall off a cliff. But it's not realistic to think people with cognitive impairment could open, sniff and close 80 odorant bottles daily. This would be difficult even for those without dementia."

Michael Leon, professor of neurobiology & behavior and a CNLM fellow

The study's first author, project scientist Cynthia Woo, said: "That's why we reduced the number of scents to just seven, exposing participants to just one each time, rather than the multiple aromas used simultaneously in previous research projects. By making it possible for people to experience the odors while sleeping, we eliminated the need to set aside time for this during waking hours every day."

The researchers say the results from their study bear out what scientists learned about the connection between smell and memory.

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"The olfactory sense has the special privilege of being directly connected to the brain's memory circuits," said Michael Yassa, professor and James L. McGaugh Chair in the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory. The director of CNLM, he served as collaborating investigator. "All the other senses are routed first through the thalamus. Everyone has experienced how powerful aromas are in evoking recollections, even from very long ago. However, unlike with vision changes that we treat with glasses and hearing aids for hearing impairment, there has been no intervention for the loss of smell."

The team would next like to study the technique's impact on people with diagnosed cognitive loss. The researchers also say they hope the finding will lead to more investigations into olfactory therapies for memory impairment. A product based on their study and designed for people to use at home is expected to come onto the market this fall.

The study was supported by Procter & Gamble.

Source:
University of California - Irvine

Journal reference:
Woo, C. C., et al. (2023) Overnight olfactory enrichment using an odorant diffuser improves memory and modifies the uncinate fasciculus in older adults. Frontiers in Neuroscience. doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1200448.

[blueash]

So two hours of keeping your nose busy while sleeping is needed. Alternative sources of smells might not be P&G. Perhaps a sleeping partner with digestive issues or poor oral hygiene. Maybe garlic under the pillow will have the double benefit of also protecting against vampires?

The authors did many tests to find a difference between the active and control groups. The major finding on one cognitive test was that in a short six months more than half the control group got much worse than their baseline test.

The authors fail to explain why the control group rapidly deteriorated. Perhaps their control odors were cognitive poisons? Interestingly the authors state they are not making their specific data available to other researchers. Hmm.

[Boomer]

Thanks, Dr. blueash. As I was writing my post, I was actually hoping you would weigh in and parse for me what’s available in the entire study. I respect your opinion as a medical doctor.

Seriously, thank you for digging into the rest of the info.

I know this thing — that is basically nothing more than a marketing study — is not a cure for one of the most frightening things we could face as we age. As I said, it sure would be nice if something so easy could actually help. I do find it interesting to think about though. But I have been known to think too much.

Guess it does not really pass the sniff test.

(I still will probably get one of those things, depending on what the scents are. I am persnickety about smells and I have a nose like a hound dog. )

Anyway, thanks.

Boomer

PS: Re. those vampires you mentioned: Werewolves scare me, but vampires don’t. I don’t think that silver bullet under my pillow has much of a smell. . .well, maybe a little.