Olfactory training enhances semantic verbal fluency in healthy older adults, but only for individuals with low baseline performance.

ABSTRACT: Olfactory training (OT), a structured exposure to odors, is commonly used by otorhinolaryngologists to treat olfactory dysfunction. However, OT has been shown to improve cognition of people with cognitive or olfactory impairments and slow the age-related cognitive decline. This study investigated whether OT could enhance cognitive functions in older adults with an intact sense of smell, compared with younger adults. We hypothesized that OT would improve semantic verbal fluency and working memory in the experimental group, with no significant changes in the placebo group (PG). The final sample comprised 184 participants aged 24 to 94 years (Mage = 51.84 ± 23.25 years), including 83 young adults (53% women, Mage = 26.71 ± 2.62 years) and 101 older adults (88% women, Mage = 72.49 ± 5.40 years

SUBMITTER: Rokosz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12510804 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature