Development of a novel olfactory testing for detecting cognitive decline

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K18443
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Studies on the Super-Aging Society
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: ARAI Tetsuaki 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 教授 (90291145)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 鈴木 浩明 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 准教授 (40344890)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 2型糖尿病 / 軽度認知障害 / 嗅覚検査装置

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been reported that type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with cognitive decline from middle age, but the predictors of cognitive decline are not clear. In the present study, we investigated the characteristics and predictors of cognitive decline in type 2 diabetes using olfactory, cognitive, motor, and blood tests in middle-aged healthy controls (HC) and persons with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Olfactory testing was performed using conventional olfactory identification tests and a newly developed testing device. The T2D group had significantly lower values of olfactory detection and identification, memory, attention, executive function, depression, motivation, lower extremity muscle strength, and balance capability than the HC group. Olfactory detection and identification tests using the newly developed device and balance capability are useful for early screening for cognitive decline in middle-aged T2D subjects.

Free Research Field

老年精神医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

世界で類を見ない超高齢化が進んでいる本邦では，認知症患者数が462万人，MCI患者数が400万人と推定され，かかる医療費は年間10兆円と試算され，認知症対策は喫緊の課題である．嗅覚検査という安価・非侵襲・簡便なスクリーニングにより認知症の早期診断・早期治療が可能になれば，医療経済的に絶大な効果があるだけでなく，高齢者の健康寿命を延ばし，well-beingをバランス良く実現させることに貢献することが可能となる．以上から，本研究の成果は社会的意義があると考える．