This study is a descriptive study to investigate relevance of dry eye symptoms and physical symptoms of university students using smartphones and to identify the factors affecting dry eye symptoms. We collected data from university students in C province of Korea on March 3-29, 2016. They responded questionnaires of general characteristics, physical symptoms, and eye dry symptoms. 315 questionnaires were collected and 310 questionnaires were analyzed except for the incomplete one. Data were analyzed using t-test, one-way ANOVA, Scheffe test, Descriptive analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis. The participants' dry eye symptoms according to general characteristics showed statistically significant differences in gender (t=-3.306, p=.001), whether to wear contact lenses (t=-3.386, p=.001), smartphone use time (F=5.133, p=.002), and computer use time (F=5.137, p=.002). We were found that 68 (21.9%) were normal, 80 (25.8%) were mild, 58 (18.7%) were moderate and 104 (33.5%) were severe, and that 78.1% of 310 students had dry eye. And OSDI (Ocular Surface Disease Index) showed a significant correlation with turtle neck syndrome (r=.343, p<.001), wrist tunnel syndrome(r=.252, p<.001), and eye fatigue(r=.681, p<.001), and OSDI was significantly affected by eye fatigue (β=.668, t=16.042, p<.001),

Recent evidence has revealed an association between neurodegenerative disorders and olfactory dysfunction. However, whether olfactory training can improve cognitive impairment in patients with dementia requires further study. The present study aimed to resolve this by developing an intensive olfactory training (IOT) protocol and assessing its impact on each of the cognitive domains in patients with dementia.Methods: Patients were prospectively recruited between June 2020 and September 2020. Baseline evaluations included demographic data, olfactory function test, depression scale and detailed cognitive function tests. Thirty-four patients in the experimental group underwent IOT twice a day with a 40-odor set for 15 days, while 31 individuals in the control group received conservative management. Follow-up evaluations using the depression scale and detailed cognitive function tests were performed after IOT.Results: Baseline characteristics were not different between the two groups. The IOT group showed significant improvements in depression, attention, memory and language functions, but not global cognition, frontal executive, or visuospatial functions compared with the control group. Conclusion:This study shows the ability of IOT to alleviate depression and improve some cognitive functions in patients with dementia. These results suggest that IOT may be an effective non-pharmacological approach for improving the symptoms of dementia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 5-11.

Early detection is important for delaying or preventing cognitive impairment. Since olfactory dysfunction and depression are common symptoms of cognitive dysfunction, they may serve as measurable risk indicators. This study was designed to identify the relationship between olfaction, depression, and each domain of cognitive function in elderly dementia patients in South Korea. Study participants were 108 patients who visited the outpatient clinic between March and September 2019. More significant impairment of olfactory function was found in those with mild (7.48 ± 1.28) or moderate (7.37 ± 2.22) test scores of the Expanded Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale than in those with questionable scores (20.58 ± 6.18). The language domain of cognitive function, age, and education level showed 39.2% explanatory power for olfactory function (F = 5.591, p &lt; 0.001). It is expected that assessment of olfactory function in elderly people can lead to the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of dementia. Furthermore, it is important for future studies to confirm the relationship between each domain of cognitive function and olfactory function according to the type of dementia and to establish criteria for screening dementia in order to utilize olfactory function as a clinical marker.

Olfactory function is an emerging topic of research in the fields of cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases. We aimed to confirm the association between olfactory function and cognitive impairment by assessing the olfactory function of older persons with cognitive impairment and identify whether olfactory function is associated with cognitive impairment. For this study, we recruited 117 older people aged ≥65 years with cognitive impairments from a public hospital in Korea. We used the Korean version of the expanded clinical dementia rating scale to evaluate participants’ cognitive impairments, and the University of Pennsylvania’s smell identification test to assess their olfactory function. Our results indicate a significant negative correlation between olfactory function and all domains of cognitive impairment (memory, orientation, judgement and problem-solving, community affairs, home and hobbies, and personal care). In addition, olfactory function was a factor associated with cognitive impairment in older persons. Therefore, we expect that our results to provide useful data for the development of interventions using olfactory stimulation to improve cognitive function in older persons with cognitive impairment.

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