[The preliminary study of white matter integrity in patients with olfactory dysfunction]

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Olfactory dysfunction affects a significant portion of the population.
• The underlying neurobiological mechanisms of olfactory dysfunction are not fully understood.
• White matter integrity plays a crucial role in neural communication and processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate white matter integrity in patients experiencing olfactory dysfunction.
• To utilize diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess microstructural changes in the brain.
• To identify specific white matter regions associated with olfactory dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-one patients with olfactory dysfunction and sixteen healthy controls underwent DTI on a 3T scanner.
• The Sniffin' Sticks test evaluated olfactory function in all participants.
• Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were analyzed in regions of interest (ROI) including the piriform cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, insula, and capsula interna.

Main Results:

• Patients with olfactory dysfunction showed significantly lower FA values in the white matter adjacent to the right piriform cortex and right orbitofrontal cortex compared to controls (P<0.05).
• No significant differences in FA values were observed in the left piriform cortex, left orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, insula cortex, or capsula interna between groups (P>0.05).

Conclusions:

• Patients with olfactory dysfunction demonstrate abnormal white matter connectivity within primary and secondary olfactory cortices.
• Reduced white matter integrity in specific olfactory-related regions may contribute to the development of olfactory dysfunction.