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Olfactory hallucinations in Alzheimer’s disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 September 2020

Mohamad El Haj Open the ORCID record for Mohamad El Haj [Opens in a new window]  and
Frank Larøi
Mohamad El Haj*
Affiliation:
Nantes Université, Univ Angers, Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire (LPPL – EA 4638), F-44000Nantes, France Unité de Gériatrie, Centre Hospitalier de Tourcoing, Tourcoing, France Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
Frank Larøi
Affiliation:
Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway Norwegian Center of Excellence for Mental Disorders Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
*
Author for correspondence: Mohamad El Haj, Email: mohamad.elhaj@univ-nantes.fr
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Abstract

We assessed the frequency, duration, and degree of unpleasantness of olfactory hallucinations in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Informants of 31 AD patients were invited to rate the frequency, duration, and degree of unpleasantness of olfactory, auditory, and visual hallucinations. Analysis demonstrated little occurrence of olfactory hallucinations compared with auditory or visual hallucinations. Results also demonstrated that olfactory hallucinations span from a few seconds to one minute, a duration that was similar to that of auditory and visual hallucinations. Olfactory hallucinations were rated as unpleasant compared with auditory or visual hallucinations. Finally, olfactory hallucinations were significantly correlated with depression. Our findings demonstrate little occurrence of olfactory hallucinations but that when they occur, they are experienced as relatively unpleasant in AD patients. Our findings also demonstrate a relationship between olfactory hallucinations and psychiatric characteristics (i.e., depression) in AD.

Keywords

Alzheimer’s diseasedementiadepressionhallucinationspsychiatric disorders
Type
Original Article
Information
Acta Neuropsychiatrica , Volume 33 , Issue 1 , February 2021 , pp. 37 - 42
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Copyright
© Scandinavian College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2020

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