Familiar smells unlock memories in depressed people. Can olfactory therapy help those who suffer from this disease?.
People with depression remember more specific things after smelling odors like ground coffee or tobacco than after hearing the words "coffee" or "cigarette," according to a recent study. The study was published Tuesday in JAMA Network Open by Kymberly Young, associate professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. Smells are more related to the way people process emotions or remember past events.