Effectiveness of Olfactory Training for Cognition and Depressive Symptoms in Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Abstract

Background: Olfactory training (OT) has been proposed as a non-pharmacological intervention to improve cognitive functions and depressive symptomatology, but evidence remains fragmented.

Methods: In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing OT versus control in middle-aged and elderly adults. Four databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase) were systematically searched from database inception through June 2025. Standardised mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using fixed- or random-effects models as appropriate. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane tool; sensitivity analyses and funnel plots evaluated robustness and small-study bias.

Results: Six RCTs with a total of 302 participants were included. The OT did not significantly improve global cognition (SMD = 0.65; 95% CI -0.37 to 1.67) or verbal fluency (SMD = 0.06; 95% CI -0.22 to 0.34). However, OT produced a modest benefit in memory (SMD = 0.38; 95% CI 0.06-0.70) and depressive symptoms (SMD = -0.35; 95% CI -0.62 to -0.07). Risk of bias was generally low to unclear, with performance and allocation concealment most frequently at high or unclear risk. Leave-one-out analyses showed that memory and depressive symptomatology effects were sensitive to the inclusion of individual studies, whereas global cognition and fluency findings remained stable. Funnel plots suggested possible publication bias for global cognition but not for other domains.

Conclusions: OT may have potential benefit to memory and depressive symptomatology in middle-aged and elderly adults, while it still needs further high-quality, large-scale investigations to confirm the effects.