The new wind test can detect Alzheimer’s before the symptoms begin

Scientists have long known a link between wind loss and dementia – mainly because the construction of a plate that signals dementia initially occurs in parts of the brain related to memory and wind.

Now, researchers from Mass General Bigram have developed an innovative olfactory test at home that can use this knowledge to detect Alzheimer’s disease years before traditional symptoms appear.

Studying-posted this week in the journal Scientific Reports-there were English and Spanish speakers to remember, identify and distinguish between different fragrances using peel and sniff cards.

The researchers determined that participants with cognitive impairment marked the lowest in these tests.

Since these tests were successfully completed at home, the findings could pave the way for an accessible, non-invasive and free method of early detection and subsequent preventive measures.

“Early detection of cognitive damage can help us identify people who are at risk of Alzheimer’s disease and intervene years before the memory symptoms begin,” said study author Lead Mark Albers, a neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, in a statement.

“Our results suggest that smell testing can be used in clinical research environments in different languages ​​and among the elderly to predict neurodegeneous disease and the development of clinical symptoms,” he added.

Alzheimer’s affects nearly 7 million Americans, a number expected to increase to 13.9 million by 2060.

The condition is extremely difficult to diagnose, especially in its initial stages, because the symptoms can be delicate and there is no final test.

Massive general study matches previous research exploring wind potential and memory tests in predicting cognitive decline.

Last year, researchers at Columbia University demonstrated that the combination of short wind tests with short memory exams can signal as effective as the costly brain image techniques.

New research has also revealed the power of other senses for early detection.

A recent study showed that loss of taste can signal neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Another recent study found that a simple vision test could detect madness in 12 years before a diagnosis.