Abstract
Early detection is important for delaying or preventing cognitive impairment. Since olfactory dysfunction and depression are common symptoms of cognitive dysfunction, they may serve as measurable risk indicators. This study was designed to identify the relationship between olfaction, depression, and each domain of cognitive function in elderly dementia patients in South Korea. Study participants were 108 patients who visited the outpatient clinic between March and September 2019. More significant impairment of olfactory function was found in those with mild (7.48 ± 1.28) or moderate (7.37 ± 2.22) test scores of the Expanded Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale than in those with questionable scores (20.58 ± 6.18). The language domain of cognitive function, age, and education level showed 39.2% explanatory power for olfactory function (F = 5.591, p < 0.001). It is expected that assessment of olfactory function in elderly people can lead to the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of dementia. Furthermore, it is important for future studies to confirm the relationship between each domain of cognitive function and olfactory function according to the type of dementia and to establish criteria for screening dementia in order to utilize olfactory function as a clinical marker.
Highlights
South Korea is currently undergoing rapid population aging (Statistics Korea, 2021), leading to a steep increase in the number of elderly people with dementia
This study investigated the effects of specific cognitive function domains and depression on olfactory function in elderly people with dementia
We could not address the relationship between depression and olfactory function, but our results support the hypothesis that language cognitive function decline and old age accompany the occurrence of olfactory dysfunction in elderly patient with dementia
Summary
South Korea is currently undergoing rapid population aging (Statistics Korea, 2021), leading to a steep increase in the number of elderly people with dementia. Early detection of dementia in elderly people and the development of interventions are major priorities. Dementia is a progressive disease characterized by the impairment of two or more cognitive domains, which causes difficulties maintaining social, occupational, and self-care activities (Arvanitakis et al, 2019). Dementia is primarily associated with deficits in the memory domain, along with deterioration of the language, visuospatial, and executive domains (Arvanitakis et al, 2019). Depending on the type of dementia, the affected cognitive domains are different. Alzheimer’s disease, for example, is mainly accompanied by loss of short-term memory, whereas vascular
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
