Olfactory Training for Mild Cognitive Impairment

This study is looking at whether "Olfactory Memory Training" (OMT) can help improve smell and thinking abilities in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI means you have some memory or thinking problems, but they aren't severe enough to interfere with daily life. The study will compare OMT, which involves smelling and remembering odors, to "Visual Memory Training" (VMT), which involves matching abstract symbols. Researchers want to see if OMT can improve scores on tests that measure thinking skills (like the Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite 5 or PACC5) and sense of smell (Sniffin' Sticks TDI). You may be able to join if you are between 55 and 89 years old and have been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. The study aims to enroll 30 participants, but its current recruitment status is unclear.

Study design
This is an interventional study that will enroll 30 participants with mild cognitive impairment. Participants will be randomly assigned to either Olfactory Memory Training or Visual Memory Training.
What's involved
You would complete 48 training sessions at home over 3 months, with each session lasting about 10 minutes. You will also have assessments at the start, at 3 months, and at 6 months.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Participants will be followed for 6 months after starting the training.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT06825403

Olfactory Training in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Recruiting
NAAges 55–89InterventionalTreatment
Jeffrey Motter
~30 participants
Updated 2026-09-04 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Olfactory Memory TrainingVisual Memory Training

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Change in Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite 5 (PACC5)
Measured over Baseline, 3 Months, 6 Months
+2 more outcomes measured
Mild Cognitive Impairment

NCT06825403

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • New York State Psychiatric Institute

    New York, New Yorkstudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

  • Jeffrey N Motter, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc.

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  • Change in Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite 5 (PACC5)Baseline, 3 Months, 6 Months

    The PACC5 provides a comprehensive assessment of Alzheimer's disease-relevant cognitive impairment and to serve as a tool with validated sensitivity to detect cognitive decline over time. It is comprised of five tests: Mini-Mental State Examination (total score range 0-30), Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised Logical Memory Delayed Recall (total score range 0-25), Digit-Symbol Coding Test (total score range 0-93), Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test Free + Total Recall (total score range 0-96), and Category Fluency Test (graded by number of correct words belonging in the categories of animals, fruits, and vegetables; not graded on a scale). The PACC5 is computed as an averaged z-score of all five tests.

  • Change in Sniffin' Sticks TDI (Threshold, Discrimination, and Identification composite)Baseline, 3 Months, 6 Months

    The Sniffin' Sticks TDI test consists of a threshold test, a discrimination test, and an identification test. The results of the three subtests makes a total TDI score, where the minimum score is 1 and the maximum score is 48. A score \>30 indicates normal olfactory function, a score between 15-30 indicates hyposmia and a score \<15 indicates anosmia in the form of severely impaired or complete loss of olfaction.

  • Change in Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADCS-ADL-PI)Baseline, 3 Months, 6 Months

    The range of scores of the 15 items ADL question is 0-45 with higher scores indicating better daily functioning. This is the ADCS-ADL-PI outcome measure. In addition, there is a range of scores for the 5 items of physical function questions, which is 0-5 with higher scores indicating intact physical functioning.