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Odor processing in multiple chemical sensitivity.

Lena Hillert1, Vildana Musabasic, Hans Berglund

  • 1Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Occupational Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Human Brain Mapping
|June 13, 2006
PubMed
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Individuals with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) exhibit altered brain responses to odors, showing reduced activation in odor-processing areas despite physiological distress. This suggests different odor processing, not neuronal sensitization, in MCS patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Toxicology
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is a condition causing physical symptoms upon exposure to low-level environmental chemicals.
  • The underlying neurobiological mechanisms of MCS, particularly hypersensitivity to odors, remain largely unknown.
  • Investigating odor-signal processing in the brain offers a unique avenue to understand MCS mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in odor-signal processing within brain circuits between individuals with MCS and healthy controls.
  • To determine if MCS is associated with altered neural responses to olfactory stimuli.
  • To explore potential top-down regulatory mechanisms influencing odor perception in MCS.

Main Methods:

  • Positron Emission Tomography (PET) was used to measure regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in response to various odorants.

Related Experiment Videos

  • 12 female subjects with MCS and 12 female controls participated in the study.
  • Physiological responses including respiratory rate and heart rate variability (RR intervals) were monitored concurrently.

    • Main Results:

    • MCS subjects showed reduced activation in primary odor-processing brain regions compared to controls.
    • Despite reduced activation, MCS subjects exhibited physiological distress (decreased RR interval) and increased activation in the anterior cingulate cortex and cuneus-precuneus.
    • Baseline rCBF was normal in MCS subjects, with abnormal patterns emerging only during odorant exposure.

    Conclusions:

    • Individuals with MCS demonstrate distinct patterns of odor processing in the brain, characterized by hypoactivation in sensory areas and altered activation in higher-order regions.
    • The findings suggest that MCS involves atypical neural processing of odors rather than simple neuronal sensitization.
    • A potential explanation for the observed brain activity in MCS is top-down regulatory control originating from the cingulate cortex.