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Reduced olfactory bulb volume in patients with schizophrenia
B I Turetsky1, P J Moberg, D M Yousem
1Department of Psychiatry, Radiology, and Otorhinolaryngology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. turetsky@bblmail.psycha.upenn.edu
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|April 28, 2000
Summary
Patients with schizophrenia have 23% smaller olfactory bulbs than healthy individuals, indicating structural olfactory deficits. This finding suggests the olfactory system may be a key area for studying schizophrenia neurobiology.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
Background:
- Olfactory dysfunction is a common symptom in schizophrenia.
- Previous research has suggested structural and functional abnormalities in the olfactory system of patients with schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively compare olfactory bulb volume in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls.
- To investigate the relationship between olfactory bulb volume and olfactory sensitivity in both groups.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to obtain olfactory bulb volumes from 26 patients with schizophrenia and 22 healthy subjects.
- A region of interest procedure was employed for accurate volumetric measurements.
Main Results:
- Patients with schizophrenia demonstrated a 23% reduction in bilateral olfactory bulb volume compared to healthy controls.
- This volume difference was independent of clinical, demographic, or treatment variables.
- Olfactory bulb volume correlated with odor detection sensitivity in healthy subjects, but this correlation was absent in patients with schizophrenia.
Conclusions:
- Schizophrenia is associated with significant structural deficits in the olfactory bulbs.
- These structural changes likely contribute to the observed functional olfactory deficits in schizophrenia.
- The olfactory system presents a potential model for investigating the neurobiological underpinnings of schizophrenia.