Cytoarchitectural changes in the olfactory bulb of Parkinson's disease patients

Olfactory dysfunction is associated with nearly all the cases of Parkinson's disease (PD) and typically manifests years before motor symptoms are detected. The cellular mechanisms underlying this dysfunction, however, are not understood. In this study, olfactory bulbs (OBs) from male control and PD subjects were examined by histology for changes in cytoarchitecture. These studies found that the general OB laminar organization and the number of interneurons expressing tyrosine hydroxylase were unaltered. In contrast, the number of mitral/tufted projection neurons and interneurons expressing Calretinin were significantly decreased in PD subjects. This study reveals changes in OB cytoarchitecture mediated by PD and provides valuable insight into identifying specific OB neuronal populations vulnerable to PD-related neurodegeneration.