Creating memories through scent is being explored as a potential treatment for dementia. Smells are strongly connected to memory formation in the brain areas responsible for emotion and memory storage. Studies have found that exposing patients with mild Alzheimer's disease to scents can help them recall more childhood, adulthood and recent memories. Essential oils may also help reduce symptoms of dementia when smelled or applied to the skin, as certain scents can stimulate the mind or have calming effects. The author proposes further investigating how scent training may assist memory recall in persons with dementia.
Creating Memories through Sense of Smell for Dementia
1. Creating Memories through Sense of Smell for Dementia
Aminata Sillah
[email protected]
March 4, 2021
Introduction
Memories are sparked by everything we smell. Memories are
created from our childhood,
teenage years and adulthood. Researchers are figuring out that
“sniffing out,” close relations
2. between losing the sense of smell and the parallel of memory
loss related with dementia
(Intriago, 2016). Sense of smell is recognized as olfactory
sense. Olfactory memory is the
remembrance of smells. Olfactory memory is a simple operation
of the brain; however, its role is
complex in both conscious and subconscious memory (Intriago,
2016). The other senses pass
through a different brain region before being operated. Sense of
smell, olfactory cortex is looped
right to the amygdala and hippocampus – major key to the
limbic system (Intriago, 2016). The
things we smelled throughout the years stays with us. Those
smells become part of our emotional
memories and can recover through the form of emotional
acknowledgments. Certain scents bring
back long- term memories through emotional response which
will be a great treatment impact on
dementia including Alzheimer's disease.
According to El Haj and Giachet (2016), autobiographical
memory is known to contain
all personal memories that is comparable to whom we are, were
discovered to be damaged in
3. Alzheimer’s disease. Autobiographical memory is known for
being the key part of our memory
system which allows repairs and maintenance of self-awareness,
self-image, and personal
knowledge and able to retreat past events from our lives (El Haj
and Giachet, 2016). People with
Alzheimer’s disease autobiographical memory are declined and
it is difficult for them to relive
past events of their lives. Studies tried to reduce the damage of
autobiographical memory by
centering sensory signals. Studies also shown that music and
odor are powerful benefactors of
involuntary recovery by shrinking the time it will take to
recover the memories. Involuntary
autobiographical memories are conscious memories of events of
one's life and those memories
comes to the mind suddenly. Olfactory signals are connected
memory and emotions which are
amygdala and hippocampus. Neuroimaging studies shows that
odor-evoked memories are
distinguish by the brain areas activation that are associated with
memory recovery and the cortex
process of olfactory and recruit the brain regions that were
4. operated during visual imagery and
emotions (El Haj and Giachet, 2016).
El Haj, Gandolphe, Gallouj, Kapogiannis and Antoine (2017)
presented a case study of
28 participants that were in the mild stage of Alzheimer’s
disease and 30 healthy participants that
were the controls. The Alzheimer’s disease participants were
enrolled from retirement homes
and diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease dementia by a
neurologist/geriatrician based on the
clinical criteria from the National Institute on Aging-
Alzheimer's Association. The control
participants were independent, lived own their own in their
homes and lived with a spouse or
relative of Alzheimer’s disease participants. Each participant
was tested separately in three
sessions: after odor exposure, after music exposure and in a
control condition. They were given
three minutes to describe their memories and they were
informed of this time limit in order for
them to structure their memories accordingly and avoiding bias
from distractions. Small bottle of
essential oils was opened and participants had to smell the
scents with their eyes closed and were
5. asked to explain the memory that popped in their mind. Two
pieces of music was played for the
participants and they had to recall a memory. However, control
participants, were told in silence
with odor free air. The outcome of memories being recovered
after odor and music exposure in
Alzheimer’s disease participants had a higher precision,
emotional experience, mental time travel
and shorter comeback time than the control condition.
Researchers inquired whether the exposure would improve
difficulties that recover
memories in Alzheimer’s disease patients. Twenty- six patients
with mild Alzheimer’s disease
and 28 healthy control patients were tested to recover
childhood, adulthood and current
memories without odor and after odor exposure (El Haj,
Gallouj, Glachet, and Moustafa, 2019).
The outcome of this study showed Alzheimer’s disease patients
had a higher number and more
certain childhood, adulthood and current memories after odor
exposure than without odor.
The olfactory bulb is the first area that is affected in
6. Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
diseases. The sense of smell is weaker in early stages of people
with these diseases. Correlating
with different activities with different scents help reduce
confusion for dementia people with
what is going on. The scents can be essential oils, toast, coffee
in the mornings or loved one’s
favorite perfume or aftershave (Bowles, 2007). Same aroma
every night before bed for someone
with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is helpful due to helping
them settle for bed. Rosemary,
peppermint, lemon scents are not a good smell to help someone
with dementia or Alzheimer’s
disease.
Essential oils are part of aromatherapy which is good for people
with dementia including
Alzheimer’s disease. There are multiple essential oils that are
effective in treating Alzheimer’s
disease and dementia symptoms through smelling and rubbing
into skin. Lavender smells are
calming and balance strong emotions. Lemon balm are very
effective and beneficial to people
with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Lemon balm are very
effective and beneficial to people
7. with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Peppermint stimulates
the mind and calm nerves and
corrects absent-mind. Rosemary oils improves cognitive
performance, stimulates mind and body
(Best-alzheimers-products.com, 2010). Essential oils trigger
certain memories for dementia
including Alzheimer's disease.
The purpose of my proposal is to further investigate the extent
to which scent memory
can be used as a means to assist memory recall in persons with
dementia. If memories can be
sparked by scents, then persons with dementia including
Alzheimer's disease may be triggered to
recall certain memories when undergoing scent training.
8. Word Cited
El Haj M, Gandolphe MC, Gallouj K, Kapogiannis D, Antoine
P. 2017. From nose to memory:
The involuntary nature of odor-evoked autobiographical
memories in Alzheimer’s disease. Chem
Senses. 43(1):27–34.
Glachet O, El Haj M. 2019. Emotional and phenomenological
properties of odor-evoked
autobiographical memories in Alzheimer’s Disease. Brain Sci.
9(6):135.
Glachet O, Moustafa AA, Gallouj K, El Haj M. 2019. Smell
your memories: Positive effect of
odor exposure on recent and remote autobiographical memories
in Alzheimer’s disease. J Clin
Exp Neuropsychol. 41(6):555–564.
Joy Bowles BSc. E. 2007 Mar 8. Remember that Smell -
9. Dementia Care International.
Dementiacareinternational.com.
https://dementiacareinternational.com/2007/03/remember-that-
smell/.
Olfactory stimulation for Alzheimer’s and dementia. 2010 Jan 6.
Best-alzheimers-products.com.
https://best-alzheimers-products.com/olfactory-
stimulation.html.
Intriago J. The connection between smells and memory.
Seniorsmatter.com. 2016 Apr 25.
https://www.seniorsmatter.com/connection-smells-
memory/2492233
https://dementiacareinternational.com/2007/03/remember-that-
smell/
https://dementiacareinternational.com/2007/03/remember-that-
smell/
https://best-alzheimers-products.com/olfactory-stimulation.html
https://www.seniorsmatter.com/connection-smells-
memory/2492233
First draft
by Aminata Sillah
Submission date: 05-Mar-2021 07:58PM (UTC-0800)
Submission ID: 1525620572
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Lin-Bo Li, Chuang Guo. "Chapter 5 Iron
Pathophysiology in Alzheimer’s Diseases",
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![Creating Memories through Sense of Smell for Dementia
Aminata Sillah
[email protected]
March 4, 2021
Introduction
Memories are sparked by everything we smell. Memories are
created from our childhood,
teenage years and adulthood. Researchers are figuring out that
“sniffing out,” close relations](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/creatingmemoriesthroughsenseofsmellfordementia-220922000718-2d318a05/85/Creating-Memories-through-Sense-of-Smell-for-Dementia-1-320.jpg)
