Abstract
PurposePrevious studies reported a correlation between olfactory function and depression. However, in literature, no data are available for the correlation between depression and all other factors such as age, sex, olfactory, gustatory, and cognitive function in healthy subjects taken together. The aim of this study was to provide a systematic account regarding the association between those variables in a non-clinical population.MethodsTwo hundred and seventy-three participants were recruited with an age range of 19–84 years. Olfactory, gustatory, cognitive function, and depression level were evaluated by means of the following tests: the Sniffin’ Sticks test, Taste Strips test, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).ResultsIn our data, an age-related decrease in olfactory and gustatory function and a decline in cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and language were observed. Instead, no significant differences were observed for the depression level in relation to the different age ranges. However, our results indicated that the depression level could be associated to sex, odor identification impairment, and decreased attention and language.ConclusionSex, the odor identification impairment, and an age-related decrease in attention and language are associated with increased level of depression in healthy subjects. Our data can be useful and informative for health care workers, that is, to have adequate preventive strategies to be used whenever these conditions are detected and recognized.
Highlights
Olfactory and gustatory function allows animals to detect smells and to locate food sources (Loy et al, 2016)
Results showed a significant difference in weight [F(2,270) = 6.782, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.048] and in body mass index (BMI) [F(2,270) = 22.346, p < 0.01, partial η2 = 0.142]; in particular, an increase in both weight and BMI in elderly subjects (>55 years) compared to younger participants (18–35 years)
This study evaluated for the first time the association between depression and age-related decline in olfactory, gustatory, and cognitive function in healthy subjects
Summary
Olfactory and gustatory function allows animals to detect smells and to locate food sources (Loy et al, 2016). Patients with olfactory disorders show usually daily life problems in personal hygiene, safety, sexual behavior, and, food intake (Croy et al, 2014a). Due to the existence of direct brain connections between olfactory bulb and limbic areas such as the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex, patients with olfactory dysfunctions exhibited higher levels of depression (Pause et al, 2001; Croy et al, 2010, 2014a,b,c; Negoias et al, 2010). Patients with depression showed reduced activation in the orbitofrontal cortex, thalamus, and insula (Croy et al, 2014a,b,c) and a decreased volume of the olfactory bulb (Negoias et al, 2010)
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