Sense of Smell Decreases with Age

People 60 years and older may be less able than young people to distinguish between odors. Researchers from several institutions assigned 440 participants to one of two groups according to age: younger than 45 and 60 and older.  They tested 621 olfactory sensory neurons from participants for responses to two odorant mixtures and individual odors.  

Results showed older participants had as many neurons as younger participants, but the older group could not differentiate between two odors, blending them together.  Younger people responded to one or the other.  Lead researcher, Dr. Diego Restrepo, Univ. of Colorado, suggested that changes in the nose and brain contribute to a declining sense of smell in the elderly. 

Source:  Neurobiology and Aging

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