Scents of Progress: Leveraging a Novel Device for Olfactory Training in Older Adults

Launched by JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · Dec 10, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, called "Scents of Progress," is investigating a new device called ScentCare, designed to help older adults who have trouble smelling, a condition known as olfactory dysfunction. The main goal is to see if using this device and its companion app can improve the sense of smell and overall well-being in elderly patients. To do this, researchers will compare the effects of ScentCare with an activity like solving Sudoku puzzles, which also stimulates the brain but does not involve smell.

Adults aged 60 and older who have lost some or all of their sense of smell and have never tried smell training before may be eligible to participate. Those who are sensitive to any scents used in the study or have a rare condition called congenital anosmia, where one is born without a sense of smell, cannot join. Participants will use the ScentCare device or solve Sudoku puzzles twice a day for three months and will visit the clinic twice to take smell tests and complete questionnaires about their experience. This study is currently recruiting participants, and it could offer valuable insights into improving the sense of smell in older adults.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Adults 60 years of age or older.
• • English-speaking patients.
• • Patients with a diminished or lost sense of smell.
• • Patients who have not done smell training before
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Patients who are sensitive to any of the scents used in the study.
• • Patients with a diagnosis of congenital anosmia.