Sniffing out Alzheimer's: simple smell test could spot early brain changes
NCT ID NCT05881239
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study explores whether a simple, at-home smell test can help detect early signs of Alzheimer's and other memory disorders. Researchers will ask 250 adults with mild memory or behavior concerns, as well as healthy older adults, to take a 45-minute scratch-and-sniff test using a smartphone app. The goal is to develop a low-cost, noninvasive tool that could one day help doctors identify brain diseases earlier.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 250 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2023
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
1. Subjective Cognitive Concerns (SCC), 2. Mild Cognitive Impairment, 3. Mild Behavioral Impairment, 4. Healthy Age-matched Controls.
- Ages
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18 to 100 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * A clinical or research consensus diagnosis of the patient's condition or control status. * Individuals that are at least 18 years of age at the time of enrollment. * Individuals that are no older than 100 years of age at the time of enrollment. Exclusion Criteria: * Primary pulmonary disease such as severe emphysema or asthma not under good medical control. * Current sinusitis, common cold, upper respiratory infection, or nasal polyps. * Current or recent (past 6 months) alcohol or substance dependence. A prior history of alcohol or substance abuse will not be grounds for exclusion. * Pregnancy. * Severe cognitive dysfunction that would preclude completion of the olfactory testing. * An adverse reaction to fragrances (ie. they trigger a severe asthmatic attack or nausea).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Massachusetts General Hospital
RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02129, United States
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