Olfactory Identification in Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: Recently, subjective cognitive decline (SCD) has been considered to be one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Since this potential early marker is sensitive but not specific to AD, combining it with other markers could ensure higher accuracy when predicting which persons with SCD will convert to AD. Since olfactory dysfunction is observable in both AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), it is a promising marker that could help improve the early diagnosis of AD. Objective: The aim of this meta-analysis was to verify whether the presence of SCD is associated with a decrease in olfactory identification ability. Methods: We collected articles from the following databases: PsychNet, PubMed, Ebsco, and ProQuest using the keywords: “SCD”, “subjective cognitive decline”, “subjective cognitive impairment”, “subjective memory impairment”, “subjective memory decline”, “cognitive complaints”, “memory complaints”, “cognitive concerns”, “memory concerns”, “olfac*” and “smell”. We included articles according to the following criteria: 1) participants aged 50 and over; 2) presence of an SCD group or a conceptual equivalent; 3) presence of a healthy control group with the same age range; and 4) assessment of olfactory identification ability. Results: Five studies met the inclusion criteria. Small and homogeneous effects were observed for olfactory identification alteration in individuals with SCD relative to controls (g = –0.16, 95% CI [–0.46, 0.14]). Conclusion: Despite the low number of studies included, the findings suggest that odor identification is slightly altered in SCD compared to healthy older adults. This alteration in individuals with SCD could be an early marker of AD.