Depression and smell

There is a well-attested link between Alzheimer's disease and people losing their sense of smell and now researchers from Tel Aviv University have put forward the idea that depression might also be linked to a loss of the sense of smell. Research on autoimmune diseases (where the body attacks itself) such as arthritis, rheumatism and lupus shows that a particle known as an autoantibody which attacks the body's own immune system can weaken a person's sense of smell and induce feelings of depression. People who are depressed often respond well to aromatherapy and shops often use smells to improve customers' moods and get them to spend more.

You can find out more about this research at

http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/01/04/depression-may-affect-smell/1738.html