Parkinson’s Disease Overview

Dysfunction In Sense Of Smell

Dysfunction in the sense of smell commonly occurs with Parkinson's disease, though researchers are unsure why this is the case. Patients may begin losing their sense of smell long before they develop other Parkinson's disease symptoms. Some studies indicate that smell loss can be used to show individuals at a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease. One theory on why Parkinson's disease may cause smell loss is that the degenerative process might start in both the gut and olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulb is the portion of the brain responsible for controlling the individual's ability to smell things. Since smell loss tends to occur slowly over time, many patients may not notice they have scent-related dysfunction until they are tested.