Sniff your way back: daily scent training may restore lost smell

NCT ID NCT06115291

ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Kansas Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This study tests whether daily exposure to different scents can retrain the sense of smell in 250 adults with smell disorders, including those from traumatic brain injury. Participants will use scented inhaler sticks at home and take smell tests before and after 12 weeks. The goal is to see if this simple, drug-free method can improve smell detection and identification.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: aromatherapy inhaling sticks with various scents
What this could lead to: If it works, this could provide a simple, drug-free way to help people regain their sense of smell after injury or illness.
What could go wrong: This is an early-stage study with no control group, so results may not prove the training is better than natural recovery. Success rates in past studies were modest (28%).

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anosmia Brain Concussion Brain Injuries, Traumatic olfactory nerve disorder traumatic brain injury

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

CONCUSSION, BRAIN OLFACTORY DISORDER SMELL DISORDER TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Contacts and locations

Locations

University of Kansas Medical Center

Kansas City, Kansas, 66160, United States

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