Smell and neurodegenerative diseases

Although often considered as a minor sense, olfaction plays a major role in our everyday life. Particularly, over the last decades, the finding of an association between olfactory disorders and neurodegenerative diseases has generated interest in the scientific community. Indeed, olfactory dysfunction in present in the early course of some neurodegenerative diseases (i.e. Alzheimer’s disease, idiopathic Parkinson’s disease), coinciding or even preceding the onset of cognitive or motor symptoms.