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The process of olfaction, also known as the sense of smell, is a sophisticated chemical response system. The specialized sensory neurons that facilitate this process, known as olfactory receptor neurons, are situated in an upper segment of the nasal cavity, known as the olfactory epithelium. Olfactory sensory neurons are bipolar, with their dendrites extending from the epithelium's apex into the mucus that lines the nasal cavity. Airborne molecules, when inhaled, traverse the olfactory...
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Post-traumatic olfactory loss and brain response beyond olfactory cortex.

Robert Pellegrino1,2,3, Michael C Farruggia4,5, Dana M Small4,5,6,7

  • 1Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307, Dresden, Germany. pellegrino.robert@gmail.com.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Head trauma can cause olfactory impairment, affecting areas beyond the olfactory cortex. Brain scans reveal heightened responses and altered connectivity in higher-order brain regions are linked to smell loss after injury.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory Research
  • Brain Imaging

Background:

  • Traumatic head impacts can lead to olfactory dysfunction, impacting the olfactory cortex.
  • The role of other cortical areas in post-traumatic smell loss remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whole-brain neural responses to odors in individuals with post-traumatic olfactory impairment.
  • To identify brain regions and networks associated with functional anosmia and hyposmia following head trauma.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed in 63 participants (25 functional anosmia, 16 hyposmia, 22 normosmia controls).
  • Whole-brain odor versus odorless stimuli responses were analyzed.
  • Connectivity analysis was performed on specific brain networks.

Main Results:

  • Primary olfactory areas showed similar responses across groups.
  • Responses in the frontal operculum and anterior insula (fO/aI) correlated positively with olfactory function.
  • Mediodorsal thalamus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), and posterior cingulate cortex (pCC) showed negative associations with olfactory function.
  • Connectivity within a vmPFC-fO-pCC network differentiated between functional anosmia and normosmia.

Conclusions:

  • Olfactory impairment after head trauma involves altered neural activity and connectivity in higher-order brain regions beyond the primary olfactory cortex.
  • Heightened responses and differential connectivity in areas like vmPFC, fO/aI, and pCC characterize smell loss.
  • These findings suggest a broader neural basis for olfactory dysfunction post-trauma.