Peanut butter test facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peanut butter test |
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|---|---|
| Medical diagnostics | |
| Purpose | An attempt to detect Alzheimer's disease |
The peanut butter test is a special test. It tries to find out if someone has Alzheimer's disease. It does this by checking how well people can smell peanut butter with each nostril.
The first study about this test was in October 2013. Researchers measured how well people could smell peanut butter held near their nose. They thought people with Alzheimer's could not smell as well with their left nostril as their right one.
But these results were not very clear. The study had only a few people. Also, other studies could not get the same results later.
Contents
How the Peanut Butter Test Works
Why Smell Matters for Alzheimer's
The main researcher from the 2013 study, Jennifer J. Stamps, found something interesting. Our sense of smell uses a special nerve called the olfactory nerve. This nerve is one of the first things affected when someone starts to have memory problems.
Also, the front part of the temporal lobe in our brain helps us smell. This part of the brain is also one of the first areas to get damaged by Alzheimer's disease.
Why the Left Nostril?
The researchers thought the left nostril would show a difference. This is because in Alzheimer's, the left side of the brain is often affected first. Our sense of smell is ipsilateral. This means the side of your body that smells something is the same side of your brain that processes it. So, the left nostril connects to the left side of the brain.
What the Test Means
Using the Test for Alzheimer's
Jennifer Stamps said the test can only help confirm Alzheimer's for people who already have a diagnosis. She also said they plan to study people with mild cognitive impairment. This is a mild memory problem. They want to see if the test could predict who might get Alzheimer's disease later.
Study Size and Future Research
The first study had 94 patients. This was too small to be completely sure about the results. In 2012, another review found that a weaker sense of smell might be linked to Alzheimer's. But they said more studies are needed to know if smell tests can truly predict Alzheimer's.
Later Studies and Findings
In 2014, another study was published. It also appeared in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences. This study looked for differences in how the left and right nostrils worked in Alzheimer's patients. However, it found no proof of a left-right difference in smelling ability.
