npj Aging· 2026Q1
Age-related changes in olfactory function: electrophysiological recordings from the olfactory mucosa and human brain
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Older adults show reduced olfactory function due to slower central processing and diminished neural recruitment, evidenced by prolonged brain signal latencies and reduced oscillatory power in olfactory mucosa and brain.
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Key points
- Older adults have significantly lower psychophysical olfactory scores compared to younger individuals.
- Electrophysiological recordings show prolonged brain signal latencies (CERP P2) in older adults.
- Reduced spectral power in theta, delta, and beta bands was observed in both olfactory mucosa and brain (Fz, Cz, Pz) of older adults.
- The olfactory mucosa remains functionally active, but neural recruitment and oscillatory power are diminished with age.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Age-related olfactory decline in humans is well-documented, yet the underlying peripheral neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. We investigated age-related olfactory decline across psychophysical, nasal mucosal, and central neural levels in 73 healthy adults across the lifespan. Participants underwent Sniffin’ Sticks testing and simultaneous recordings of mucosal electro-olfactograms (EOG) and cerebral chemosensory event-related potentials (CERP) in response to olfactory and trigeminal stimulation. Older adults exhibited significantly lower psychophysical olfactory scores, prolonged CERP P2 latencies, and reduced spectral power across theta, delta, and beta bands at peripheral (EOG) and cerebral (Fz, Cz, and Pz) sites. These findings demonstrate a systemic decline of olfactory function. Although the olfactory mucosa remains functionally active, diminished neural recruitment and oscillatory power, coupled with slower central processing, characterize olfactory aging. These objective electrophysiological markers provide a comprehensive profile of sensory decline in the aging population.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. npj Aging, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Sensory Systems
Sensory SystemsNeuroscience