The Caring Corner®
Something Doesn’t Smell Right!
Researchers in Florida have identified a curious linkage between the sense of smell and Alzheimer’s Disease. They conducted a test to see how well people could identify the smell of peanut butter from each nostril measuring the distance at which it was detected. They found a startling correlation between (what they believe to be) Alzheimer’s and a weaker sense of smell in the left nostril.
Other scientists suggest that the result is simply an amusing anomaly, that some imbalance in the sense of smell is common in many people and that a sharper imbalance may also indicate other diseases such as Lewy Body dementia. While more research needs to be done, it is an interesting study that may help us understand more about a disease that, sadly, continues to confound even the most educated.
