Researchers at the University of Navarra have reported that inhaling menthol can boost cognitive function in animal models that mimic Alzheimer’s disease. The findings appeared in Frontiers in Immunology.
Previous work has long observed a connection between a reduced sense of smell and the emergence of early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Loss of olfactory function is one of the first clues that the brain changes associated with this condition are underway.
In a new set of experiments, scientists documented that short, regular inhalations of menthol over a six-month period helped preserve cognitive abilities in animals affected by Alzheimer’s-like pathology. Not only did menthol inhalation slow the decline in learning and memory in sick animals, but it also seemed to enhance certain cognitive skills in healthy young mice. This finding points to a potential sensory-driven approach to supporting brain health across different stages of the aging process.
Researchers propose that the observed effects may involve a reduction in interleukin-1 beta (IL-1b), a molecule known to amplify inflammatory responses in the body. When IL-1b activity was blocked with a specific drug, the mice showed improved memory and learning performance, suggesting that this inflammatory pathway plays a role in how memory functions in the context of neurodegenerative risk. It’s worth noting that the same class of drugs used to target autoimmune conditions shares this ability to modulate immune signals that can influence brain function.
According to the researchers, the study represents an important step in unraveling how the immune system interacts with the brain and how the sense of smell might influence this relationship. The results imply that both scents and immune-modulating therapies could play a role in preventing or mitigating Alzheimer’s-related cognitive decline. The research team emphasizes that while these findings come from animal models, they open avenues for exploring how olfactory cues and immune regulation could translate into future human interventions.