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. 2011 Dec;26(4):864-71.
doi: 10.1037/a0023263. Epub 2011 May 30.

Genetic and environmental influences on odor identification ability in the very old

Richard L Doty  1 , Inge Petersen, Nii Mensah, Kaare Christensen
Affiliations

Genetic and environmental influences on odor identification ability in the very old

Richard L Doty et al. Psychol Aging. 2011 Dec.

Abstract

Odor identification ability and cognition were measured in a population-based cohort of 1,222 very old twins and singletons, including 91 centenarians. Heritability for identifying odors was low, in contrast to that for cognition. Common genes were found to contribute to both olfaction and cognition. In a multiple regression model, sex, age, cognitive function, and smoking, but not APOEε4 status, were significant predictors of the olfactory test scores (all ps < 0.001). This study, along with data from other studies, suggests that indices of heritability for odor identification decline with age, likely reflecting adverse environmental influences on the smell system.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: RLD is President and major shareholder of Sensonics, Inc., the manufacturer and distributor of the olfactory tests employed in this study. No other conflicts of interest are noted.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean (±SEM) odor identification test scores as a function of age and sex. Based upon 10-item smell test. See text for details.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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