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Olfactory deficits predict cognitive decline and Alzheimer dementia in an urban community
Devanand DP, Lee S, Manly J, Andrews H, Schupf N, Doty RL, Stern Y, Zahodne LB et al.. Neurology, 2014-12-03
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Objective To determine the predictive utility of baseline odor identification deficits for future cognitive decline and the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia. Methods In a multiethnic community cohort in North Manhattan, NY, 1,037 participants without dementia were evaluated with the 40-item University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT). In 757 participants, follow-up occurred at 2 years and 4 years. Results In logistic regression analyses, lower baseline UPSIT scores were associated with cognitive decline (relative risk 1.067 per point interval; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.040, 1.095; p Conclusions Impairment in odor identification was superior to deficits in verbal episodic memory in predicting cognitive decline in cognitively intact participants. The findings support the cross-cultural use of a relatively inexpensive odor identification test as an early biomarker of cognitive decline and AD dementia. Such testing may have the potential to select/stratify patients in treatment trials of cognitively impaired patients or prevention trials in cognitively intact individuals.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Devanand, D. P., Lee, S., Manly, J., Andrews, H., Schupf, N., Doty, R. L., et al. (2015). Olfactory deficits predict cognitive decline and Alzheimer dementia in an urban community. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000001132
Vancouver
Devanand DP, Lee S, Manly J, Andrews H, Schupf N, Doty RL, et al. Olfactory deficits predict cognitive decline and Alzheimer dementia in an urban community. Neurology. 2015. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000001132. PMID: 25471394.
BibTeX
@article{devanand2015-25471394,
author = {Devanand, D. P. and Lee, S. and Manly, J. and Andrews, H. and Schupf, N. and Doty, R. L. and Stern, Y. and Zahodne, L. B. and others},
title = {{Olfactory deficits predict cognitive decline and Alzheimer dementia in an urban community}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0000000000001132},
pmid = {25471394},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000001132}
}
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Key findings
- Results In logistic regression analyses, lower baseline UPSIT scores were associated with cognitive decline (relative risk 1.067 per point interval; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.040, 1.095; p < 0.0001), and remained significant (relative risk 1.065 per point interval; 95% CI 1.034, 1.095; p < 0.0001) after including covariates.
Why it matters
In this community cohort, lower baseline odor identification scores were associated with cognitive decline, and impairment in odor identification was superior to deficits in verbal episodic memory in predicting cognitive decline in cognitively intact participants. The authors suggest such testing may have potential to select or stratify patients in treatment and prevention trials.
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Study details
- Participants1,037
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 62/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,037 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 351 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 27.0 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 13.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 8 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 97 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Richard P Mayeux: h-index 158 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Pennsylvania: institution h-index 1,859 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25471394) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 62 / 100 | — |
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