ABSTRACT
Studies on olfactory training (OT) outcomes have mostly been limited to olfactory performance, while direct neural connections between olfactory system and amygdala-hippocampal complex allow expecting OT to have psychological effects. To address this hypothesis, we examined olfactory, cognitive and emotional effects of OT in the group of 68 subjects aged between 50 and 88 years (Mage = 62.8 ± 8.9 years; 28 males) who are likely to experience an age-related decline in olfactory and cognitive performance. We diversified stimuli used in the OT to verify whether odor mixtures result in more effective activation of olfactory receptor neurons than single molecule odors. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the experimental conditions: (a) simple OT utilizing single-molecule odors; (b) mixtures OT using odor mixtures; (c) control group without OT. Results indicate beneficent effects of the simple OT on cognitive assessment, cognitive decline symptoms, and olfactory sensitivity. OT can be adapted from otorhinolaryngological practice to successfully serve neurocognitive research and in supporting the cognitive-related aging process. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Subject(s)
Cognitive Dysfunction , Smell , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Aging , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , OdorantsSubject(s)
Contracture/genetics , Contracture/physiopathology , Heat Stroke/genetics , Heat Stroke/physiopathology , Malignant Hyperthermia/diagnosis , Malignant Hyperthermia/genetics , Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel/genetics , Body Temperature , Cohort Studies , Genetic Variation , Humans , Malignant Hyperthermia/physiopathology , Military Personnel , Ryanodine/pharmacologyABSTRACT
In the present study, we familiarized menopausal women with a pleasant smell in the skin care products, they used for 1 week and assessed whether their mood and emotions improved using behavioural and physiological tools. Eventually, we studied the effects of inhaling the familiar fragrance on physiological response of the subjects. An anhedonia questionnaire was used to distinguish the effects of the test products according to low vs. high score of anhedonia. Familiarization with the fragrance induced a modification of some physiological parameters, reflecting a relaxing effect, and these unconscious effects paralleled the conscious positive effects on mood recorded during the familiarization phase; it appeared that the effects were more prominent in subjects with higher scores of anhedonia. These results suggest that the pleasant smell of a skin care product contributes to the quality of life in a population of menopausal women with low easiness to experience pleasure.
