2023-08-01 カリフォルニア大学校アーバイン校(UCI)
◆実験参加者は、自然のオイルが入った7つのカートリッジをディフューザーに入れ、寝る前に異なるカートリッジを使用して2時間間活性化させました。被験者は語彙リストテストによって認知能力が226%向上したと報告され、脳の画像診断でも年齢とともに減少する脳経路である左部の切迫束の完全性が改善されていることが確認されました。
◆嗅覚喪失は認知症の発症を予測することが知られており、この研究では嗅覚喪失を改善することで認知症を予防する可能性を示しています。
<関連情報>
- https://news.uci.edu/2023/08/01/sweet-smell-of-success-simple-fragrance-method-produces-major-memory-boost/
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1200448/full
芳香ディフューザーを用いた夜間の嗅覚刺激は、高齢者の記憶力を改善し、海綿状筋膜を変化させる。
Overnight olfactory enrichment using an odorant diffuser improves memory and modifies the uncinate fasciculus in older adults
Cynthia C. Woo, Blake Miranda, Mithra Sathishkumar, Farideh Dehkordi-Vakil, Michael A. Yassa, Michael Leon
Frontiers in Neuroscience Published:24 July 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2023.1200448
Objective: Cognitive loss in older adults is a growing issue in our society, and there is a need to develop inexpensive, simple, effective in-home treatments. This study was conducted to explore the use of olfactory enrichment at night to improve cognitive ability in healthy older adults.
Methods: Male and female older adults (N = 43), age 60–85, were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to an Olfactory Enriched or Control group. Individuals in the enriched group were exposed to 7 different odorants a week, one per night, for 2 h, using an odorant diffuser. Individuals in the control group had the same experience with de minimis amounts of odorant. Neuropsychological assessments and fMRI scans were administered at the beginning of the study and after 6 months.
Results: A statistically significant 226% improvement was observed in the enriched group compared to the control group on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and improved functioning was observed in the left uncinate fasciculus, as assessed by mean diffusivity.
Conclusion: Minimal olfactory enrichment administered at night produces improvements in both cognitive and neural functioning. Thus, olfactory enrichment may provide an effective and low-effort pathway to improved brain health.
