Can stimulating the sense of smell be beneficial for the brain?

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · Jun 08, 2026 · 900 words · By Benoît Jobin; Coline Zigrand

Neuroplasticity Olfactory Health Sleep Hygiene

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What to know about Neuroplasticity

The article discusses passive olfactory stimulation as a potential method to improve memory, sleep quality, and the sense of smell. It cites research on brain plasticity and specific studies involving scents like lavender to support these claims while noting that some results are preliminary.

Propaganda risk 10%

Claims checked 14

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center67%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Can a simple scent released while you sleep improve your sense of smell, your memory or even the quality of your sleep?

Why it matters

New research explores the benefits of passive olfactory stimulation.

Common ground

One in five people experience a loss or reduction of their sense of smell.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Neuroplasticity story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that This can result from different conditions, including respiratory infections, sinusitis, COVID-19, head trauma, neurodegenerative diseases or exposure to chemicals?
How does this story connect Neuroplasticity with Olfactory Health over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/can-stimulating-the-sense-of-smell-be-beneficial-for…

analyticsAnalysis

10%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 70% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

schedule Pending 4

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

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Claim 1: “This can result from different conditions, including respiratory infections, sinusitis, COVID-19, head trauma, neurodegenerative diseases or exposure to chemicals.”

CORROBORATED

Mayo Clinic, Merck Manual, and other web sources confirm that loss of smell is caused by respiratory infections, sinusitis, head trauma, COVID-19, and neurological conditions.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Starting in January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The global COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Long COVID or long-haul COVID is a group of health problems persisting or developing after an initial period of COVID‑19 from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Symptoms can last weeks, months, or years and are of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_COVID

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “One in five people experience a loss or reduction of their sense of smell.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (NIH/PMC, Springer Nature, and Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening) confirm that approximately 15-20% of the population experiences olfactory dysfunction.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In mathematics, particularly in functional analysis and ring theory, an approximate identity is a net in a Banach algebra or ring (generally without an identity) that acts as a substitute for an ident…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approximate_identity

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In mathematics, particularly in mathematical analysis and measure theory, an approximately continuous function is a concept that generalizes the notion of continuous functions by replacing the ordinar…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approximately_continuous_funct…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An approximation is anything that is intentionally similar but not exactly equal to something else.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approximation

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “a pilot study found that diffusing lavender at night could improve both perceived sleep and certain objective sleep indices measured by an electroencephalogram.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 4: “the protocol involves exposing oneself to different smells for around 30 to 40 seconds each.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While olfactory training is confirmed, the provided evidence for this specific claim consists of general Wikipedia entries about the olfactory system and does not specify the 30-40 second duration protocol.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Olfactory receptors (ORs), also known as odorant receptors, are chemoreceptors expressed in the cell membranes of olfactory receptor neurons and are responsible for the detection of odorants (for exam…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olfactory_receptor

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The olfactory system is the sensory system used for the sense of smell (olfaction). Olfaction is one of the special senses directly associated with specific organs. Most mammals and reptiles have a ma…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olfactory_system

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Phantosmia (phantom smell), also called an olfactory hallucination or a phantom odor, is smelling an odor that is not actually there. It can occur in one nostril or both. Unpleasant phantosmia, also c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantosmia

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “By smelling scents, we activate and stimulate the brain’s limbic system, a key region that regulates emotions and memory.”

CORROBORATED

PMC, Cleveland Clinic, and other sources confirm that olfactory information is relayed to the limbic system, which regulates emotion and memory.

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web search NEUTRAL — Rather, odor information is relayed directly to the limbic system, a brain region typically associated with memory and emotional processes. This provides ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4330889/

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web search NEUTRAL — The signals make a quick stop in the olfactory bulb before traveling to key areas of the brain involved in learning, emotion, and memory: the olfactory, or ...
https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/connections-betwee…

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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 6, 2024 ... The limbic system is your emotional nervous system. This group of brain structures regulates your emotions, memory and behaviors.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/limbic-system

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Claim 6: “A meta-analysis combining several studies shows that certain scents can improve sleep quality in people with insomnia.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “Lavender, orange peel and rose are the most widely studied [scents for sleep].”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 8: “In ancient Egypt, our ancestors burned myrrh incense to protect sleepers from nightmares.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding ancient Egyptians burning myrrh to protect sleepers from nightmares.

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Claim 9: “olfactory training requires two sessions a day for at least three months.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results specifically mention protocols requiring twice-daily sessions for durations of 12-24 weeks (approx 3-6 months).

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web search NEUTRAL — Surprisingly, attrition was rarely reported, which is curious with a daily treatment protocol that requires 12–24 weeks to complete. Clearly, an intervention ...
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9891899/

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web search NEUTRAL — 4 scents: Rose, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Cloves, 5 min, twice daily. 2 and 3 months, Objective: Sniffin' Sticks test (TDI). Interaction between time and group d = ...
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/human-neuroscience/arti…

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web search NEUTRAL — Results: Participants completed 74% of 5,600 potential sessions, showing high adherence to twice-daily training. Qualitative data revealed dynamic behavioural ...
https://www.rhinologyjournal.com/Rhinology_issues/manuscript…

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Claim 10: “the lavender night was associated with... an increase in deep slow-wave sleep and delta activity”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 11: “Results showed a 226 per cent improvement in verbal memory compared to a group of adults who were not exposed.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent reports of the Frontiers in Neuroscience study explicitly cite a 226% improvement in verbal memory/cognitive performance for the enriched group.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions, and its disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines ph…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroscience

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Computational neuroscience (also known as theoretical neuroscience or mathematical neuroscience) is a branch of neuroscience which employs mathematics, computer science, theoretical analysis and abstr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computational_neuroscience

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Frontiers Media SA is a publisher of peer-reviewed, open access, scientific journals currently active in science, technology, and medicine. It was founded in 2007 by Kamila and Henry Markram. Frontier…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontiers_Media

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 12: “the researchers reported an increase in the left uncinate fasciculus, a communication pathway between the regions of the brain involved in memory and learning.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the left uncinate fasciculus.

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Claim 13: “The main treatment for loss of smell is olfactory training.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources (Tisserand Institute, iMedic) identify olfactory training as a recommended or primary treatment for recovering from smell loss, particularly post-infectious cases.

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web search NEUTRAL — As of January 2021, olfactory training is a recommended treatment for post-infectious olfactory disorder . But what are olfactory disorders?Smell loss is listed among the primary symptoms of Covid-19 …
https://tisserandinstitute.org/olfactory-training-and-recove…

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web search NEUTRAL — Loss of smell is one of the most common side effects of COVID-19. While most COVID-19 infected patients eventually recover their sense of smell, there are those who have yet to have it return. For an …
https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/treating-smell-loss-in…

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web search NEUTRAL — Use of smell training: Active olfactory training significantly improves recovery rates. Underlying cause: Viral causes generally have better prognosis than traumatic causes. For smell loss caused by n…
https://imedic.health/en/diseases/ent-eyes/loss-of-smell-tas…

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Claim 14: “A study published in Frontier in Neuroscience exposed a group of healthy adults aged 60 to 85 to a different scent each night — rotating through seven scents over a week — for six months.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources describe a study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience involving adults aged 60-85, using seven rotating scents for six months.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.