Is there a connection between your fragrance and grey matter? Here’s what research says

Most people use perfumes or fragrances to create a graceful atmosphere around them and also to charm others. However, the latest studies show that a fragrance that you regularly wear can expand the grey matter in your brain. This significant discovery was made by the scientists at Kyoto University and the University of Tsukuba. The study was recently published in the ‘Brain Research Bulletin’ journal, too.

28 among 56 women who do the same job were asked to wear rose scent oil regularly on their outfits. The rest of the subjects didn’t use any perfume or fragrances. After a month, the MRI scans of their brains were analysed. It was observed that the grey matter in the brains of the women who used rose scent oil was larger than that of the rest of the group. Meanwhile, there were no changes in the size of the grey matter in those who didn’t use any perfume. However, detailed studies about how this change could influence their thoughts and memories haven’t been done yet.

The grey matter in the brain is called the ‘Thinking Region’. The information that we collect is processed in this region of the brain. Besides, grey matter also controls the muscle movements, the senses, memory and decision-making skills. Although it is natural, in certain circumstances, for the brain to enhance its abilities, it is rare for its size to increase.

The researchers also observed small yet significant changes in the amygdala, which controls emotions, the orbitofrontal cortex, where olfactory senses are controlled, and the posterior cingulate cortex, where memories are processed. However, in antithesis, it is said that the brain might have considered the rose scent oil as an annoying fragrance, and the grey matter may have expanded as an emotional response to it.

Nevertheless, the rose scent oil has stimulated the grey matter in the posterior cingulate cortex, solidifying the bond between the fragrance and memory. The scientific community, meanwhile, hopes that this discovery will accelerate studies related to memory-related diseases and consider it a significant milestone in its treatment.