Catching whiffs of powerful smells during sleep has been found to be beneficial for memory and may even help treat dementia. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine discovered that exposing older adults to a fragrance in their bedroom for two hours every night for six months resulted in an astonishing 226 percent improvement in cognitive capacity.
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As part of the trial, a group of men and women aged 60 to 85 were provided with a diffuser and seven cartridges, each containing a different natural oil. One group experienced the oils in their full-strength form, while the other group was exposed to the oils in small quantities.
Aromatherapy using oils can contribute to the brain's efficiency by filling the environment with delightful fragrances
Each night before sleep, participants placed different cartridges into their diffusers, which remained active for two hours during slumber. The group exposed to full-strength cartridges exhibited a remarkable 226 percent surge in cognitive performance compared to the control group.
Through a word list test, scientists examined cognitive performance to assess memory. Furthermore, brain imaging demonstrated enhanced integrity in the left uncinate fasciculus, a region that typically weakens with age. Participants also reported experiencing heightened sleep quality.
The scientific community has long associated the loss of smell, scientifically termed the olfactory sense, with the potential onset of neurological and psychiatric conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Recent finding also point to a possible connection between COVID-19-induced smell loss and cognitive decline.
In earlier studies, scientists discovered that exposing people with moderate dementia to 40 distinct odors twice daily for a specific duration resulted in enhanced memory, language skills, reduced depression, and an improved sense of smell. UCI researchers aimed to transform this valuable information into a simple and non-intrusive means to combat dementia.
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University researchers, including neurobiology expert Michael Leon and project scientist Cynthia Woo, acknowledge that cognitive decline and olfactory sense diminish with age. To overcome this challenge, the study employed a simplified approach, using seven simple scents: rose, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary, lemon, orange and peppermint, exposed one at a time during sleep, instead of multiple aromas simultaneously. This made it more accessible for elderly participants and those with cognitive impairments.
The researchers say that their study's findings confirm existing knowledge about the link between smell and memory. Michael Yassa, professor, and James L. McGaugh Chair in the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, highlighted the direct connection between the olfactory sense and the brain's memory circuits.
Unlike other senses that pass through the thalamus first, the olfactory sense has the unique ability to evoke powerful recollections, even from distant memories. While vision changes can be corrected with glasses and hearing impairments with aids, there is currently no intervention for the loss of smell.
Having confirmed that all the volunteers had sound mental health, the researchers now plan to examine whether the findings extend to individuals who have already been diagnosed with cognitive impairment. Furthermore, the researchers are optimistic that their discovery will catalyze further explorations into olfactory therapies for memory-related challenges. A product based on their study, tailored for home use, is scheduled for release this fall.
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Regardless of the study's results, introducing scents into your bedtime routine can be an enjoyable way to stimulate the mind during the silence and darkness of the night.
The team's study was published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience.
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