DGIST’s Brain and Cognitive Sciences Professor Jae Il Moon’s research team identified that early Alzheimer’s partial loss of smell was actually for specific odors. This suggests the possibility that partial olfactory loss could be used as an indicator for early screening of Alzheimer’s dementia patients in the future. The research results were published in Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy’.

In the early stages of Alzheimer’s, the research team revealed that the cause of the decline in odor detection function was partial death of the olfactory nervous system and olfactory nerve cells that detect and process specific odors. This is different from the conventional concept in which Alzheimer’s dementia’s olfactory dysfunction was considered one of the collateral

pathologies associated with loss of cerebral regions.

In particular, the research team identified that the olfactory structure and dysfunction caused by Alzheimer’s dementia is closely related to the lesions inside the olfactory tissue, and verified this with animal behavior.

This is expected to be used in the development of olfactory tests or diagnostic methods for early screening of Alzheimer’s dementia patients or risk groups.

Updates on Alzheimer from South Korea brought to you by Rowan.