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

We discuss the importance of vision, hearing, and the sense of smell to the risk of dementia. Changes in these senses can serve as signals for potential dementia, and addressing these 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.

Timestamps

00:00:06 - Introduction to the importance of the five senses

00:10:31 - Hearing Loss and Dementia

00:20:32 - The Significance of Sense of Smell

00:26:10 - Olfactory Training for Improved Brain Function

00:31:38 - Common Connection Between Vision, Hearing, and Sense of Smell

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.