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Liu D, Lu J, Wei L, Yao M, Yang H, Lv P, Wang H, Zhu Y, Zhu Z, Zhang X, Chen J, Yang QX, Zhang B. Olfactory deficit: a potential functional marker across the Alzheimer's disease continuum. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1309482. [PMID: 38435057 PMCID: PMC10907997 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1309482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a prevalent form of dementia that affects an estimated 32 million individuals globally. Identifying early indicators is vital for screening at-risk populations and implementing timely interventions. At present, there is an urgent need for early and sensitive biomarkers to screen individuals at risk of AD. Among all sensory biomarkers, olfaction is currently one of the most promising indicators for AD. Olfactory dysfunction signifies a decline in the ability to detect, identify, or remember odors. Within the spectrum of AD, impairment in olfactory identification precedes detectable cognitive impairments, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and even the stage of subjective cognitive decline (SCD), by several years. Olfactory impairment is closely linked to the clinical symptoms and neuropathological biomarkers of AD, accompanied by significant structural and functional abnormalities in the brain. Olfactory behavior examination can subjectively evaluate the abilities of olfactory identification, threshold, and discrimination. Olfactory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can provide a relatively objective assessment of olfactory capabilities, with the potential to become a promising tool for exploring the neural mechanisms of olfactory damage in AD. Here, we provide a timely review of recent literature on the characteristics, neuropathology, and examination of olfactory dysfunction in the AD continuum. We focus on the early changes in olfactory indicators detected by behavioral and fMRI assessments and discuss the potential of these techniques in MCI and preclinical AD. Despite the challenges and limitations of existing research, olfactory dysfunction has demonstrated its value in assessing neurodegenerative diseases and may serve as an early indicator of AD in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongming Liu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiaming Lu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Liangpeng Wei
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mei Yao
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Huiquan Yang
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Pin Lv
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Haoyao Wang
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yajing Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhengyang Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiu Chen
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qing X. Yang
- Department of Radiology, Center for NMR Research, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Bing Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Medical Imaging Center, The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Brain Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Provincial Medical Key Discipline (Laboratory), Nanjing, China
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Invitto S, Boscolo-Rizzo P, Fantin F, Bonifati DM, de Filippis C, Emanuelli E, Frezza D, Giopato F, Caggiula M, Schito A, Ciccarese V, Spinato G. Exploratory Study on Chemosensory Event-Related Potentials in Long COVID-19 and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Common Pathway? Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:bioengineering10030376. [PMID: 36978767 PMCID: PMC10045951 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10030376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
People affected by the Long COVID-19 (LC) syndrome often show clinical manifestations that are similar to those observed in patients with mild cognitive impairments (MCI), such as olfactory dysfunction (OD), brain fog, and cognitive and attentional diseases. This study aimed to investigate the chemosensory-evoked related potentials (CSERP) in LC and MCI to understand if there is a common pathway for the similarity of symptoms associated with these disorders. Eighteen LC patients (mean age 53; s.d. = 7), 12 patients diagnosed with MCI (mean age 67; s.d. = 6), and 10 healthy control subjects (mean age 66; s.d. = 5, 7) were recruited for this exploratory study. All of them performed a chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERP) task with the administration of trigeminal stimulations (e.g., the odorants cinnamaldehyde and eucalyptus). Study results highlighted that MCI and LC showed reduced N1 amplitude, particularly in the left frontoparietal network, involved in working memory and attentional deficits, and a reduction of P3 latency in LC. This study lays the foundations for evaluating aspects of LC as a process that could trigger long-term functional alterations, and CSERPs could be considered valid biomarkers for assessing the progress of OD and an indicator of other impairments (e.g., attentional and cognitive impairments), as they occur in MCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Invitto
- INSPIRE Lab, Laboratory on Cognitive and Psychophysiological Olfactory Processing, DiSTeBA, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Section of Otolaryngology, University of Trieste, 34123 Trieste, Italy
| | - Francesco Fantin
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, Audiology Unit at Treviso Hospital, University of Padova, 31100 Treviso, Italy
| | - Domenico Marco Bonifati
- Unit of Neurology, Department of Neuro-Cardio-Vascular, Ca' Foncello Hospital, 31100 Treviso, Italy
| | - Cosimo de Filippis
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, University of Padova, Audiology and Phoniatrics Unit, Ca' Foncello Hospital, 31100 Treviso, Italy
| | - Enzo Emanuelli
- Otolaringology Unit, Ca' Foncello Hospital, Local Health Unit N.2 "Marca Trevigiana", 31100 Treviso, Italy
| | - Daniele Frezza
- Otolaringology Unit, Ca' Foncello Hospital, Local Health Unit N.2 "Marca Trevigiana", 31100 Treviso, Italy
| | - Federico Giopato
- Unit of Neurology, Department of Neuro-Cardio-Vascular, Ca' Foncello Hospital, 31100 Treviso, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Schito
- INSPIRE Lab, Laboratory on Cognitive and Psychophysiological Olfactory Processing, DiSTeBA, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy
- Istituto Santa Chiara, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | | | - Giacomo Spinato
- Department of Neuroscience DNS, Section of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy
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Yang S, Kuan WL, Spillantini MG. Progressive tauopathy in P301S tau transgenic mice is associated with a functional deficit of the olfactory system. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 44:2396-403. [PMID: 27422327 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Multiple neurodegenerative disorders with tau pathology are characterised by the loss of memory and cognitive decline that can be associated with other symptoms including olfactory alterations that are often regarded as an early symptom of the diseases. Here, we have investigated whether olfactory dysfunction is present in the P301S human tau transgenic mice and if it is associated to tau pathology. Progressive tauopathy and neurodegeneration were noticeable in the olfactory bulb and piriform cortex at early age in the P301S human tau transgenic mice and olfactory sensitivity for social or non-social odours was significantly impaired at 3 months of age, when the piriform cortex-dependent odour-cross habituation was also disrupted. The olfactory alterations in the P301S tau transgenic mouse line provide an in vivo system where to test the mechanism-based therapies for the common and yet untreatable tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujeong Yang
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, ED Adrian Building, Robinson Way, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Wei-Li Kuan
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, ED Adrian Building, Robinson Way, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
| | - Maria Grazia Spillantini
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, ED Adrian Building, Robinson Way, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK. .,Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Clifford Albutt building, Hills Road, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK.
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