Olorama has collaborated on the development of the research project “Smell-Enhanced Recall Memory in Younger and Older Adults: Evidence from a VR Paradigm,” recently presented at the Cognitive Science conference by KITE Research Institute at the University Health Network, one of the world’s leading research centers for rehabilitation and health technologies.
The study evaluates how the incorporation of congruent olfactory stimuli into virtual reality experiences can influence recall and recognition memory in younger and older adults. To do so, the research team used Olorama’s VR smell technology, integrated with a Meta Quest Pro headset to create an immersive multisensory experience.
The study, titled “Smell-Enhanced Recall Memory in Younger and Older Adults: Evidence from a VR Paradigm” and led by Raheleh Saryazdi together with a team of KITE Research Institute researchers, including Dr. Jennifer Campos, found that adding object-associated scents significantly improved verbal recall memory in both age groups alike, although it had no effect on the scene recognition task. A second, follow-up study assessed whether cognitive load (single task vs. dual task) modulated this effect: preliminary results replicated the recall benefit in both age groups, with cognitive load showing no moderating effect. These nuanced findings — smell improves recall, not recognition — have direct implications for the design of cognitive training interventions across the adult lifespan.
This collaboration highlights the scientific community’s growing interest in integrating the sense of smell into virtual reality research and confirms the potential of Olorama’s scent technology as a platform for high-impact studies in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and digital health.
For Olorama, participating in research projects of this caliber represents another step forward in its mission to bring the sense of smell into the digital ecosystem, enabling universities, hospitals, and research centers to explore new applications of the sense of smell using tools that are reliable, precise, and easily integrated into experimental settings.
This study was published as: Saryazdi, R., Parikh, P., Islam, R., Pöhlmann, K. M. T., Huang, R., Harris, L. R., Keshavarz, B., Ryan, J. D., & Campos, J. (2026). Smell-Enhanced Recall Memory in Younger and Older Adults: Evidence from a VR Paradigm. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 48. Read the full paper.
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