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Background:

There exist functional deficits in motor, sensory, and olfactory abilities in dementias. Measures of these deficits have been discussed as potential clinical markers.

Objective:

We measured the deficit of motor, sensory, and olfactory functions on both the left and right body side, to study potential body lateralizations.

Methods:

This IRB-approved study (N= 84) performed left/right clinical tests of gross motor (dynamometer test), sensory (Von Frey test), and olfactory (peppermint oil test) ability. The Mini-Mental Status Exam was administered to determine level of dementia; medical and laboratory data were collected.

Results:

Sensory and olfactory deficits lateralized to the left side of the body, while motor deficits lateralized to the right side. We found clinical correlates of motor lateralization: female, depression, MMSE< 15, and diabetes. While clinical correlates of sensory lateralization: use of psychotherapeutic …