Links between the loss of smell and certain diseases

Rona Graham, an Associate Professor at the Centre for Research on Aging and at the Université de Sherbrooke, is part of a group of scientists who are involved with research into the sense of smell. In particular her team works on the detection of olfactory dysfunction, the impacts of this, and on treatment strategies.

A better understanding of olfactory dysfunction will help us to develop treatment for those conditions involving problems with their sense of smell. A number of studies have shown that problems with the sense of smell are observed in Huntington disease (HD), a hereditary condition that affects neurons and other cells in the brain. People with HD suffer from a number of symptoms including chorea, depression, memory lapses and difficulties in concentration. A key question the Graham laboratory is asking is why does this disease causes olfactory problems in the patients. Their work is ongoing and will contribute to the development of treatments to help HD patients, and also other individuals with a neurodegenerative disease.

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