What do vision, hearing, and smell have to do with brain health?

We discuss the importance of vision, hearing, and sense of smell to the risk of dementia. Changes in these senses can serve as signals for potential dementia and how addressing these root causes can help prevent dementia down the line. We emphasized the connection between these senses and the nervous system, as well as the role of inflammation in impacting them. We also shared practical strategies such as getting regular vision check-ups, testing hearing, and engaging in olfactory training to improve brain function.

• Introduction to the Importance of Senses: 00:00:00
• Vision, Hearing, and Smell as Indicators of Dementia: 00:02:00
• Impact of Vision on Brain Function: 00:03:25
• Hearing Loss and Dementia Risk: 00:09:39
• The Significance of Sense of Smell: 00:20:26
• Olfactory Training and Brain Function: 00:27:19
• Common Connections Between Senses and Dementia: 00:31:54

Audio-only version on YouTube

References

Test your hearing. Hear WHO app

Unusual sense of smell and detection of Parkinson’s Disease.

Woo, Cynthia C., et al. “Overnight olfactory enrichment using an odorant diffuser improves memory and modifies the uncinate fasciculus in older adults.” Frontiers in Neuroscience 17 (2023): 1200448.