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Abstract:
The ability to label an odor increases performance on odor
memory tasks. Previous studies indicate that a vocabulary based on
experience is needed to categorize an odor, and that there is an
important need to associate names with smells. Because verbal codes
play a role in memory for odors, the present study explored the
relationship between cognitive measures of verbal ability and odor
recall, recognition, and identification performance. Forty-eight
subjects were assigned to three age-groups: 16 young subjects ages
20-30 (M = 25.1, SD = 3.3), 16 young-old subjects ages 60-70 (M =
63.9, SD = 3.5), 16 old-old subjects ages 70-80 (M = 76.5, SD =
3.2). Each group was balanced in gender and education. Old subjects
were pre-screened for nasal sinus disease and dementia.
Neuropsychological assessment of verbal ability included letter
fluency (FAS), category fluency (animals, fruits, vegetables), word
knowledge (WAIS-R vocabulary), and word recall and recognition
(California Verbal Learning Test). Stepwise regression analyses
indicated that category fluency and word recall ability predict
odor identification performance (accounting for 35% of the
variance, p<.0003), and odor recall performance (accounting for
30% of the variance, p<.0004). Verbal predictors did not account
for a significant amount of variance in odor recognition memory
performance. The finding that performance on word recall and
category fluency tasks predict performance on odor recall and
identification suggests that verbal ability plays a role in
semantic encoding for odors. Supported by NIH grant # AG04085-12 to
CM & AG08203-10 to CJ.
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