Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Olfactory dysfunction in degenerative ataxias.

T Connelly1, J M Farmer, D R Lynch

  • 1Smell and Taste Center, Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
|October 23, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Medium-term restenosis after carotid endarterectomy by patch type: a single-centre retrospective study comparing biological with synthetic patch materials.

Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England·2025
Same author

Does stage III rectal mucinous adenocarcinoma benefit from neoadjuvant chemoradiation?

Techniques in coloproctology·2024
Same author

Functional connectivity differences of the olfactory network in Parkinson's Disease, mild cognitive impairment and cognitively normal individuals: A resting-state fMRI study.

Neuroscience·2024
Same author

Identification of a Gene Conferring High Levels of Resistance to Verticillium Wilt in Solanum chacoense.

Plant disease·2019
Same author

Open-label pilot study of interferon gamma-1b in Friedreich ataxia.

Acta neurologica Scandinavica·2014
Same author

Reproductive endocrine influences upon olfactory perception : A current perspective.

Journal of chemical ecology·2013
Same journal

Global epidemiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·2026
Same journal

Diagnostic accuracy of a two-cut-off approach using the FAQ/MMSE ratio and FAQ for clinical preselection of patients for anti-amyloid therapy.

Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·2026
Same journal

Cancer risk and mortality in patients with multiple sclerosis in Finland: a retrospective population-based cohort study.

Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·2026
Same journal

Visuospatial working memory in Huntington's disease: behavioural and structural brain correlates.

Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·2026
Same journal

Characteristics and outcomes in electric scooter-related traumatic brain injuries in Helsinki.

Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·2026
Same journal

Chronological ageing and ovarian reserve in MS: insights from anti-Müllerian hormone and disability progression.

Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry·2026
See all related articles

Olfactory dysfunction is a subtle clinical feature in degenerative ataxias. This suggests the cerebellum plays a role in smell processing, impacting patients with cerebellar pathology.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory Research
  • Cerebellar Function

Background:

  • The cerebellum's role in higher-order olfactory processing is increasingly suggested by research.
  • Degenerative ataxias, including spinocerebellar ataxias and Friedreich ataxia, affect cerebellar pathways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate olfactory function in patients with cerebellar pathology using the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT).
  • To explore the relationship between olfactory function and disease markers in ataxia patients.

Main Methods:

  • Administered the UPSIT to patients with spinocerebellar ataxias, related disorders, and Friedreich ataxia.
  • Compared UPSIT scores between patient groups and healthy control subjects.
  • Analyzed correlations between UPSIT scores and genetic severity, disease duration, and ambulatory status.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Patients with cerebellar pathology and Friedreich ataxia showed slightly lower UPSIT scores than controls.
  • No significant difference in olfactory function was observed between the two ataxia patient groups.
  • Olfactory test scores did not correlate with GAA repeat number or disease duration in Friedreich ataxia patients.

Conclusions:

  • Olfactory dysfunction may be a subtle clinical manifestation of degenerative ataxias.
  • Findings support the hypothesis that the cerebellum or its afferent pathways are involved in central olfactory processing.