A cutting-edge study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine reveals that familiar fragrances can assist depressed people remember brilliant and specific memories, providing a brand-new, scent-based approach to assist in their recovery.A research study published in JAMA Network Open by scientists from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC social employees found that familiar scents can assist people with depression in remembering particular autobiographical memories and possibly assist in their recovery.The research study showed that fragrances are more efficient than words at cueing up a memory of a specific event and could even be used in the medical setting to assist depressed individuals get out of the negative idea cycles and rewire thought patterns, aiding faster and smoother healing.The Role of the Amygdala in MemoryEarly in her profession, Dr. Kymberly Young, a neuroscience scientist who studies autobiographical memories, realized that engaging the amygdala– the reptilian brain that manages not just the battle or flight responses but likewise directs attention and focus to important events– assists with memory recall.”It was unexpected to me that no one thought to look at memory recall in depressed individuals using odor hints in the past,” stated Young, senior author of the study and associate teacher of psychiatry at Pitt.So, she chose to evaluate whether engaging the amygdala might help depressed people access their memories more efficiently. In this research study, Young presented study participants with a series of nontransparent glass vials including potent familiar aromas– from oranges and ground coffee to shoe polish, and even Vicks VapoRub.After asking participants to smell the vial, Young asked them to recall a specific memory, no matter excellent or bad.Findings and Future DirectionsYoung was shocked to find that memory recall was more powerful in depressed people who received odor cues as opposed to word cues.
