BRAIN AND NERVE CARE

10 Early Signs of Alzheimer’s - Page 2

By Temma Ehrenfeld @temmaehrenfeld
 | 
April 18, 2017
18 Oct 2012 --- Senior couple gardening in cabbage bed --- Image by © Cavan Images/Corbis

2. Poor sense of smell.

There are dozens of ailments and medications that could interfere with smell, including the beginnings of dementia. The most common test is called “UPSIT,” although good tests for sense of smell are not yet available and their value is limited. When volunteers in their sixties and seventies take the test, low scores can predict who is most likely to suffer mental decline in the next several years. In another test, having more trouble smelling peanut butter with your left nostril than your right turned out to predict future Alzheimer’s.

 

 

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Updated:  

October 16, 2017

Reviewed By:  

Christopher Nystuen, MD, MBA