Brain regions associated with olfactory dysfunction in first episode psychosis patients
Semra Etyemez1, Zui Narita1, Marina Mihaljevic1
1Departments of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Summary
Olfactory dysfunction in first episode psychosis (FEP) is linked to the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG). This brain region
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Olfactory dysfunction is a known symptom in psychotic disorders, often linked to negative symptoms.
- The superior frontal gyrus (SFG) is frequently implicated in psychotic disorders, particularly concerning negative symptoms.
- Research on the olfactory-brain relationship in first episode psychosis (FEP) is limited, especially compared to healthy controls (HCs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between olfactory function and brain structure/function in a first episode psychosis (FEP) cohort.
- To explore this relationship using both hypothesis-driven (focused on SFG) and data-driven neuroimaging approaches.
Main Methods:
- Structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were collected from 76 FEP patients and 88 HCs.
- Correlations between olfactory function measures (odour discrimination) and MRI data (left SFG volume and connectivity) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- A significant correlation was found between left SFG volume and odour discrimination in FEP patients, but not in HCs.
- Similarly, rs-fMRI connectivity involving the left SFG correlated significantly with odour discrimination in FEP patients, but not HCs.
- A data-driven approach did not yield significant correlations, potentially due to limited statistical power.
Conclusions:
- The left SFG shows a significant association with olfactory dysfunction in first episode psychosis.
- This suggests the left SFG may be a key brain region involved in olfactory deficits and negative symptoms in FEP.
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