Education and training Seminars in ageing Seminar recordings Seminars in Ageing: Sniffing Dementia - Olfactory decline and training in people at risk of dementia Sniffing Dementia - Olfactory decline and training in people at risk of dementia Presenters: Dr Alex Bahar-Fuchs, University of Melbourne Watch webinar recording About the presentation There has been renewed interest in the role of sensory loss in determining risk for dementia with hearing loss in midlife included as a risk factor in the most recent update to the Lancet Dementia Report. However, despite numerous studies over the past two decades establishing clear links between olfactory loss and cognitive decline and dementia in older people, it is still not listed as a formal risk factor in the Lancet Report. In this talk, the evidence base and mechanism explaining the links between olfactory loss and dementia will be reviewed, along with evidence that systematic olfactory training is an effective treatment for olfactory loss. Indeed, there is growing evidence for the potential of olfactory training as a novel avenue for cognitive training, and two upcoming trials of olfactory-based cognitive training at the University of Melbourne will be outlined. About the presenter Alex is a researcher and clinical neuropsychologist specializing in the field of cognitive ageing, and the co-leader of the CITE research group in the Department of Psychiatry, the University of Melbourne. His earlier research focused on early detection of cognitive decline and dementia, and over the past decade mainly on the development and evaluation of non-pharmacological interventions aimed at primary and secondary prevention of cognitive decline and dementia.Alex’s research contributions have been recognised in the form of several awards, including a Churchill Fellowship, Alzheimer’s Australia Fellowship, and two consecutive Fellowships from the National Health and Medical Research Council. In January 2017, Alex Joined the Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age at the University of Melbourne and he continues working as a clinician in private practice. Watch webinar recording Further information: [email protected] Booking for this event has now closed. Manage Cookie Preferences