The results of a study conducted by Johan Lundström and several
of his colleagues at the Monell Chemical Senses Center indicate
the "old person smell" is, in fact, a distinct and distinctly
identifiable odor. To carry out the study, the researchers
divided 44 volunteers into three groups: eight women and eight
men between the ages of 20 and 30 (the young); eight men and
eight women between 45 and 55 (middle-aged); and six women and
six men between 75 and 95 (elderly). For five consecutive
nights, all volunteers slept in t-shirts into the armpits of
which absorbant nursing pads had been sewn. During the day, the
sleep shirts were stored in sealed plastic bags. They were
instructed to avoid spicy foods, cigarettes, and alcohol, and to
use unscented shampoo and soap—all to keep outside odors at a
minimum, preserving their natural human aroma. In preparation
for a smell test, after the fifth night, Lundström and his
colleagues cut the sweaty nursing pads into quarters and placed
four pieces from each of the age g