A group of scientists working at the University of California have determined that the brain health of individuals who sleep by being exposed to the smells of natural aromas is better protected. Research can help people protect themselves from diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.
As part of the study, the results of which were published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, a series of tests were performed on 43 people aged 60 to 85 years. In this context; Different scents such as rose, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, mint, rosemary and lavender were given to the sleeping environment of 20 subjects. Others were treated as the control group and were put to sleep with false scents containing traces of aroma. The study, which lasted for 6 months, revealed striking results.
The scent, given for just 2 hours, increased brain activity by 226 percent!
Subjects underwent a series of neuropsychological tests at the end of the 6-month period. In these tests, measurements were made in categories such as memory, attention deficit, and verbal intelligence. The measurements made were surprising. The results of individuals who slept among natural scents were 226 percent better than the others. Moreover, these individuals’ brain regions important for memory and thinking were also in better condition. As a result, scented environments were good for the brain health of older people.
The name who made statements on the subject was Neurobiologist Michael Yassa. “The sense of smell has the special privilege of being directly connected to the memory circuits of the brain,” said Yassa, and now she has rolled up her sleeves to move on to the second phase of the research. All of the individuals included in the initial study were in good mental health. In the second phase, subjects who have been medically diagnosed with cognitive loss will be studied. If scents are effective for people with diseases such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, we may have the opportunity to have an important weapon for these diseases.
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