Elderly People HospitalizedAPPETIT-SENSNCT06530628
Prospective Study on Appetite Stimulation by Culinary Scents in the Elderly People
An observational study of Elderly People Hospitalized, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
Undernutrition affects 2 million people in France, including 400,000 elderly people living at home and 270,000 in nursing homes. It leads to increased morbidity, dependency and mortality. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 70 to 120 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Elderly People Hospitalized
- What is being tested?
- Adult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud Hospital
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- How many people
- 16 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 23 Dec 2024to 16 May 2025
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 70 to 120 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Older adult
Study population: Adult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud Hospital, aged over 70, polypathological, with or without undernutrition.
Who may be able to join
- Resident over 70 years, hospitalized in a long-term care unit at the Pierre GARRAUD Hospital in pavillon C on the first floor (Hospices Civils de Lyon).
- Resident able to eat orally in the dining room or in bedroom.
- Resident who are autonomous for eating, with or without deglutition disorders, with or without the prescription of food supplements, whatever the prescribed texture.
- Resident who does not object to participation in the study or resident with a legal protection measure such as guardianship/curatorship who does not object to the resident's participation in the study.
Who cannot join
- Resident on parenteral or enteral nutrition.
- Resident in end-of-life care.
- Resident participating simultaneously in another research study, of which the aim is to evaluate a drug or non-drug therapy likely to improve nutrition or weight control.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
France1 site
Pavillon C Hôpital Pierre Garraud / Groupement Hospitalier Nord - HCL
Lyon, 69005
About this study
Official title: Evaluation of Olfactory Stimulation of the Appetite of the Elderly in Long-term Care Units by the Diffusion of Culinary Scents : Proof of Concept.
Undernutrition affects 2 million people in France, including 400,000 elderly people living at home and 270,000 in nursing homes. It leads to increased morbidity, dependency and mortality. For the elderly in institutions, the activity associated with food intake should remain a source of recurrent pleasure; when altered, it leads to anhedonia and sarcopenia, and increases the risk of infection.
A study conducted with Alzheimer's patients has begun to demonstrate that exposing patients to a food odor 15 min before a meal helps restore their appetite and increase food intake.
Read more
A common finding among all the research into undernutrition in the elderly is that olfactory deficits, caused by centrally-cooked and then reheated meals with no appetizing smell, affect the pleasure of eating. As we age, our ability to perceive smells diminishes, as they need to be more intense to be perceived. Diminished pleasure in food odors thus plays a role in the onset of anorexia.
The Pierre Garraud Hospital accommodates 305 residents in 9 long-term care units. One of the concerns of the care teams is to prevent undernutrition.
One of the levers of this prevention is to reinforce the diet to increase the quantity and quality of the elderly's nutrition.
While particular attention is paid to the visual quality of the service and to improving the taste of the food on offer at the Hospices Civils de Lyon, the olfactory component is difficult to mobilize with a centralized food preparation process, even after re-heating in the unit.
However, caregivers have observed a marked appetite for meals prepared in the unit during entertainment activities. The diffusion of strong culinary odors was identified as an appetite vector.
This research hypothesis stems from this experience:
"The diffusion of culinary scents before meals can stimulate residents' appetite in order to encourage increased nutritional intake".
Although the elderly often suffer from olfactory loss, they are able to detect odors when presented at higher concentrations. Olfactory stimulation in a population of elderly people, 2/3 of whom have cognitive impairments, represents a real vector for the reminiscence of memories and the cognitive engagement in the act of eating.
The original idea of this study was to compensate for the absence of odors during the reheating of institutional meals, by stimulating appetite through the diffusion of culinary scents.
This would be a first exploratory proof-of-concept study of the benefits of scent diffusion on food intake and its evolution over time.
- Conditions
- Elderly People Hospitalized
- Being tested
- Adult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud Hospital
- Keywords
- Appetite, Undernutrition, Scents, Elderly in long-term care units
- Medical subject headings
- Malnutrition
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Adult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud HospitalBehavioural
Adult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud Hospital, aged over 70, polypathological, with or without undernutrition.
The intervention involves the diffusion of culinary odors using diffusers in the unit's hallways, 20 minutes before lunch, from Monday to Friday, for a period of three weeks.
This experiment will be repeated over 18 weeks (6 cycles), alternating meals without olfactory stimulation (cycles 1, 3 and 5) and meals with stimulation (cycles 2, 4 and 6).
The 3-week rhythm corresponds to the menu cycle proposed by the Unité Centrale de Production Alimentaire (UCPA). Thus, the menu will be the same whether or not it is associated with the diffusion of culinary scents.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Adult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud Hospital | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Adult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud Hospital |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Food intake of each resident : difference between weights served and weights of food leftovers. It will be compared between periods with olfactory stimulation and periods without.
Every day at lunchtime, the food will be weighed : once before the resident is served, and again when the tray is cleared.
Measured: During the intervention. This experiment will be repeated over 18 weeks (6 cycles), alternating meals without olfactory stimulation (cycles 1, 3 and 5) and meals with stimulation (cycles 2, 4 and 6).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted31 Jul 2024
- Study start23 Dec 2024
- Primary completion16 May 2025
- Study completion16 May 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Elderly People HospitalizedStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Hospices Civils de LyonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 16 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hospices Civils de Lyon
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06530628
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 69HCL22_0295
- Acronym
- APPETIT-SENS
- Status last verified
- Jul 2025
- First submitted
- 26 Jul 2024
- Last updated
- 22 Jul 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Jul 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluation of Olfactory Stimulation of the Appetite of the Elderly in Long-term Care Units by the Diffusion of Culinary Scents : Proof of Concept.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06530628
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- APPETIT-SENS / 69HCL22_0295
- Conditions
- Elderly People Hospitalized
- Keywords
- Appetite, Undernutrition, Scents, Elderly in long-term care units
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 16 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Hospices Civils de LyonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 23 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 16 May 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 16 May 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 31 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Undernutrition affects 2 million people in France, including 400,000 elderly people living at home and 270,000 in nursing homes. It leads to increased morbidity, dependency and mortality. For the elderly in institutions, the activity associated with food intake should remain a source of recurrent pleasure; when altered, it leads to anhedonia and sarcopenia, and increases the risk of infection.
A study conducted with Alzheimer's patients has begun to demonstrate that exposing patients to a food odor 15 min before a meal helps restore their appetite and increase food intake.
A common finding among all the research into undernutrition in the elderly is that olfactory deficits, caused by centrally-cooked and then reheated meals with no appetizing smell, affect the pleasure of eating. As we age, our ability to perceive smells diminishes, as they need to be more intense to be perceived. Diminished pleasure in food odors thus plays a role in the onset of anorexia.
The Pierre Garraud Hospital accommodates 305 residents in 9 long-term care units. One of the concerns of the care teams is to prevent undernutrition.
One of the levers of this prevention is to reinforce the diet to increase the quantity and quality of the elderly's nutrition.
While particular attention is paid to the visual quality of the service and to improving the taste of the food on offer at the Hospices Civils de Lyon, the olfactory component is difficult to mobilize with a centralized food preparation process, even after re-heating in the unit.
However, caregivers have observed a marked appetite for meals prepared in the unit during entertainment activities. The diffusion of strong culinary odors was identified as an appetite vector.
This research hypothesis stems from this experience:
"The diffusion of culinary scents before meals can stimulate residents' appetite in order to encourage increased nutritional intake".
Although the elderly often suffer from olfactory loss, they are able to detect odors when presented at higher concentrations. Olfactory stimulation in a population of elderly people, 2/3 of whom have cognitive impairments, represents a real vector for the reminiscence of memories and the cognitive engagement in the act of eating.
The original idea of this study was to compensate for the absence of odors during the reheating of institutional meals, by stimulating appetite through the diffusion of culinary scents.
This would be a first exploratory proof-of-concept study of the benefits of scent diffusion on food intake and its evolution over time.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Adult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud Hospital | – | Behavioral: Adult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud Hospital |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 70 to 120 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Older adult
- Study population
- Adult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud Hospital, aged over 70, polypathological, with or without undernutrition.
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Resident over 70 years, hospitalized in a long-term care unit at the Pierre GARRAUD Hospital in pavillon C on the first floor (Hospices Civils de Lyon).
- Resident able to eat orally in the dining room or in bedroom.
- Resident who are autonomous for eating, with or without deglutition disorders, with or without the prescription of food supplements, whatever the prescribed texture.
- Resident who does not object to participation in the study or resident with a legal protection measure such as guardianship/curatorship who does not object to the resident's participation in the study.
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Resident on parenteral or enteral nutrition.
- Resident in end-of-life care.
- Resident participating simultaneously in another research study, of which the aim is to evaluate a drug or non-drug therapy likely to improve nutrition or weight control.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Adult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud HospitalAdult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud Hospital, aged over 70, polypathological, with or without undernutrition. The intervention involves the diffusion of culinary odors using diffusers in the unit's hallways, 20 minutes before lunch, from Monday to Friday, for a period of three weeks. This experiment will be repeated over 18 weeks (6 cycles), alternating meals without olfactory stimulation (cycles 1, 3 and 5) and meals with stimulation (cycles 2, 4 and 6). The 3-week rhythm corresponds to the menu cycle proposed by the Unité Centrale de Production Alimentaire (UCPA). Thus, the menu will be the same whether or not it is associated with the diffusion of culinary scents. | Behavioural | Adult patients resident in Pavillon C of the Pierre Garraud Hospital |
Primary outcome
Food intake of each resident : difference between weights served and weights of food leftovers. It will be compared between periods with olfactory stimulation and periods without.
Time frame: During the intervention. This experiment will be repeated over 18 weeks (6 cycles), alternating meals without olfactory stimulation (cycles 1, 3 and 5) and meals with stimulation (cycles 2, 4 and 6).
Every day at lunchtime, the food will be weighed : once before the resident is served, and again when the tray is cleared.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Jul 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Elderly People Hospitalized, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon at 1 site in France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Jul 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Food intake of each resident : difference between weights served and weights of food leftovers. It will be compared between periods with olfactory stimulation and periods without. (time frame: During the intervention. This experiment will be repeated over 18 weeks (6 cycles), alternating meals without olfactory stimulation (cycles 1, 3 and 5) and meals with stimulation (cycles 2, 4 and 6).). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Jul 2025.