Could reliving specific memories through smell be a way to help people affected by depression? In any case, a study by social workers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (United States) and UPMC suggests this.
Smell makes it easier to access memories
This work, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, lead author and neuroscience researcher Dr. Kimberly Young began with an observation: activation of the amygdala, which participates in the decoding of emotions, helps recall memories. According to her, smells stimulate them through nerve connections in the olfactory bulb, which can help depressed patients recall happy memories. “I was surprised to find that no one had previously thought of studying memory recall in depressed people using olfactory cues”, has explained the associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.
As part of the research, the US team presented participants with a series of opaque glass vials containing powerful familiar odors ranging from orange to ground coffee. After smelling them, they had to recall a specific memory, whether good or bad.
Dr. Kimberly Young then found that recall of memories was stronger in depressed people who received olfactory cues rather than verbal cues. The volunteers who smelled were more likely to remember specific events (the fact that they had been to a coffee shop the previous week) rather than general memories (the fact that they had been to a coffee shop before).
Another observation from the study: Memories triggered by smell were also more vivid and felt more immersive and real. Additionally, participants were more likely to remember positive events after smelling different odors.
Depression and olfactory stimulation: a new therapeutic avenue to consider
Scientists say that smells are more effective than words in recalling specific memories. They can therefore be used in a clinical context to help depressed people break out of negative thought cycles, and thus promote their mild recovery.
Because of these intriguing preliminary results, the researchers want to begin more advanced studies using brain scanners to demonstrate that odors help recruit the amygdala of depressed people more effectively than verbal cues. “If we strengthen memory, we can improve problem solving, emotion regulation, and other functional problems that depressed patients experience regularly.”The researcher noted.
