Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2025
06:41
Testing for Odor Discrimination and Habituation in Mice
Published on: May 5, 2015
18.0K
Age-Related In Vivo Structural Changes in the Male Mouse Olfactory Bulb and Their Correlation with Olfactory-Driven
Pietro Bontempi1, Maria Jimena Ricatti2,3, Marco Sandri2
1Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, I-37134 Verona, Italy.
Biology
|March 29, 2023
Summary
Aging mice show reduced anxiety and distinct olfactory bulb structures. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed correlations between brain changes and behavior, offering insights into aging processes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Aging Research
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Olfactory areas connect to behavioral centers in mammalian brains.
- Aging is associated with decreased odor sensitivity and structural changes in olfactory regions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between olfactory bulb structural changes and behavioral alterations during aging in mice.
- To identify age-related differences in olfactory bulb structure and behavior using in vivo imaging and behavioral testing.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess olfactory bulb structure in young and elderly male mice.
- A comprehensive battery of behavioral tests evaluated motor function, olfactory performance, cognition, and emotional reactivity.
- Random forest analysis identified key predictive variables for age-related differences.
Main Results:
- Elderly mice exhibited a less anxious behavioral pattern compared to young mice.
- Significant differences in fractional anisotropy and T2 maps of the olfactory bulb were observed between age groups.
- Correlations were found between anxiety-related behaviors and specific MRI-derived olfactory bulb variables.
Conclusions:
- In vivo MRI can detect co-occurring age-related structural and behavioral changes in the mouse olfactory bulb.
- These findings provide a basis for studying normal and pathological aging in mice and offer potential for human aging research.
Related Concept Videos
01:03Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
9.4K
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...
9.4K
01:20Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway
8.9K
Humans detect odors with the help of specialized cells located in the upper part of the nasal cavity, called olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). ORNs possess hair-like structures called cilia, which are receptive to sensations from the inhaled air. When an odorant molecule binds to a specific receptor on the cell of the cilia, it leads to a series of events that ultimately cause the ORN to send electrical signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerves.
The olfactory...
The olfactory...
8.9K