Could Early Identification of Changes in Olfactory Function Be an Indicator of Preclinical Neurodegenerative Disease? A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that currently affects 850,000 individuals in the UK with estimates continuing to rise. Diagnosis is only available in the presence of significant neuronal pathology and apparent cognitive decline, meaning that treatment avenues are often limited and carry little to no effect on prognosis. Olfactory function has been shown to have a direct correlation with cognitive function and therefore may serve as a potential diagnostic tool for the detection of preclinical disease. The objective was to examine the current literature to establish the accuracy of olfactory function testing in determining current and future cognitive function.

Methods

A systematic review was performed via Medline on 17 Octobe

SUBMITTER: Winchester RL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7606376 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature