The peanut butter 'test', is a peculiar finding that seems to be a low cost alternative for the identification of people with Alzheimer's.
Apparently, researchers at the University of Florida, have noticed that people who have Alzheimer's have a peculiar defect in their sense of smell: the left nostril cannot smell as well as the right one. This of course is only valid for those who do not have a deviated septum or other nose abnormalities, since those people, already have limited olfactory sense in the affected or deviated side.
The reason for this peculiarity, the reduced left nostril sense of smell, is due to the fact that the sense of smell is due to the first cranial nerve, which is also one of the first that are affected during the deterioration in people afflicted with Alzheimer's.
The test measures at what distance the patient loses the scent of the peanut butter. The people affected by the disease, had to get closer by 10 inches, compared to those who were not, or compared to the right nostril, which is unaffected by Alzheimer's. The test isolates the nostrils by blocking one and then the other and comparing the relative distances.
Peanut butter was used in the experiment because it has a singular quality. Most scents or smells have two sensations, the olfactory sense, but also the trigeminal sense, which is similar to physical burning or stinging. Peanut butter does not possess the latter, it's only olfactory, hence better for the test, since Alzheimer's affects the sense of smell, not the trigeminal sense.
The test could provide a low cost alternative to other much costlier, and even in some cases, less effective tests.
Source : PopSci/ 10.10.13
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