THE AROMHA Brain Health Test, a remote olfactory assessment, effectively distinguishes cognitively normal older adults from those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), offering a cost-effective, noninvasive tool for early Alzheimer’s disease screening, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.
Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains critical for timely intervention, yet accessible, scalable screening methods are lacking. The AROMHA Brain Health Test (ABHT) addresses this gap by leveraging olfactory dysfunction—a biomarker of neurodegenerative pathology—through a self-administered, at-home assessment of odor identification, discrimination, memory, and intensity. The study evaluated 180 participants aged 55+, including cognitively normal (CN) individuals, those with subjective cognitive complaints (SCC), and MCI patients, across English- and Spanish-speaking cohorts.
Participants completed the ABHT remotely or in-person under observed/unobserved conditions. Results showed odor identification and discrimination scores were significantly lower in the MCI group compared to CN and SCC groups (p<0.002), independent of age, sex, or education. For example, the MCI group scored 30% lower on odor identification tasks than CN peers. Age-related olfactory decline was evident across all groups, with scores decreasing by ~15% per decade. Critically, test performance did not differ between English and Spanish speakers or between observed and unobserved remote administration, validating its accessibility. The ABHT demonstrated 85% accuracy in distinguishing MCI from CN participants, with anosmic controls scoring at chance levels.
These findings position the ABHT as a promising tool for early cognitive impairment screening in diverse, real-world settings. Clinicians could integrate it into routine check-ups for high-risk populations, while researchers may use it to stratify participants for AD prevention trials. Future studies must validate these results in larger cohorts, correlate olfactory scores with AD biomarkers (e.g., amyloid PET, CSF tau), and assess longitudinal predictive power for dementia conversion. Expanding language options and refining odor-specific subtests could enhance utility. For healthcare systems, adopting the ABHT could reduce diagnostic delays, particularly in underserved regions lacking advanced imaging.
Reference
Jobin B et al. The AROMHA brain health test is a remote olfactory assessment to screen for cognitive impairment. Sci Rep. 2025;15:9290.
